The shortlist for the inaugural James Patterson and Bookshop.org Prize has been revealed, with five books in contention for the award given to a debut English-language book.
Virginia Evans made the shortlist for The Correspondent, her novel about a prickly woman who writes letters to a variety of people. The book won the PEN/Hemingway Award and was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Andrew Carnegie Medal, and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize.
Sarah Aziza was shortlisted for The Hollow Half, her memoir about her recovery from an eating disorder, and Venessa Vida Kelley was named a finalist for her historical fantasy novel When the Tides Held the Moon.
Joss Richard made the shortlist for It’s Different This Time, her novel about two former roommates who reconnect after several years, while Milo Todd was shortlisted for his novel The Lilac People, about a transgender man in World War II-era Berlin.
The establishment of the James Patterson and Bookshop.org Prize, a collaboration between the thriller novelist and the online marketplace that partners with independent bookstores, was announced last September. Nominations for the prize are made by booksellers at indie retailers.
The winner of the award, which comes with a cash prize of $15,000, will be announced on April 6.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
