In Memoriam

Alice Winn was declared the "undeniable" winner of this year’s prize with her "stunning" debut novel In Memoriam, a love story about two young men who leave their public school to fight in the First World War. Our judges were deeply moved by Winn’s thoughtfully crafted story of love and tragedy: "a really exceptional book that people will be reading for decades", declared one judge.

Viking’s "classy" publishing secured a broad readership; the imprint organised a three-city pre-publication proof tour with the US-based author (visiting 32 bookshops over three days) and a series of festival events. "Viking really believed in the book and its quality", said one judge. The winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the named chain’s Novel of the Year, In Memoriam has cemented its posi­tion as the debut of 2023 "people will remember", our judges agreed.