Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize

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The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize
Awarded forExceptional first novels
Date25 July 2024
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byWaterstones
First award2022 (2022)
Websitewww.waterstones.com/category/cultural-highlights/book-awards/the-waterstones-debut-fiction-prize

The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, established in 2022,[1] is an annual literary award presented by British bookseller Waterstones to the best debut fiction published in the previous 12 months. The award is intended to "celebrate[] the very best fresh voices in fiction and share[] the joy and magic of discovering new authors."[1] Fictional books of all genres are considered, "including genre fiction such as crime, sci-fi and fantasy as well as fiction in translation."[2][3]

Award winners receive £5,000[3] and "the backing of all Waterstones shops."[2]

Recipients

Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize winners and finalists
Year Author Title Result Ref.
2022 Tess Gunty The Rabbit Hutch Winner [4]
Bonnie Garmus Lessons in Chemistry Shortlist [5][6][7]
Louise Kennedy Trespasses
Sequoia Nagamatsu How High We Go in the Dark
Eloghosa Osunde Vagabonds!
Tara M. Stringfellow Memphis
2023 Alice Winn In Memoriam Winner [8]
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Chain-Gang All-Stars Shortlist [9]
Jacqueline Crooks Fire Rush
Michael Magee Close to Home
Cecile Pin Wandering Souls
Colin Walsh Kala
2024 Ferdia Lennon Glorious Exploits Winner [10][11]
Kaveh Akbar Martyr! Shortlist [12][13][14]
Kaliane Bradley The Ministry of Time
Josie Ferguson The Silence in Between
Hanako Footman Mongrel
Rebecca K Reilly Greta and Valdin
2025 Lucy Steeds The Artist Winner [15]
Catherine Airey Confessions Shortlist [16]
William Rayfet Hunter Sunstruck
Gurnaik Johal Saraswati
Niamh Ni Mhaoilcoin Ordinary Saints
Lisa Ridzén When The Cranes Fly South
2026 Madeline Cash Lost Lambs Shortlist [17]
Jiyoung Han Honey in the Wound
Tara Menon Under Water
Rebecca Perry May We Feed the King
Stephanie Sy-Quia A Private Man
Angela Tomaski The Infamous Gilberts

See also

References

  1. Orhanen, Anna (21 July 2022). "Why Debuts Matter: Bea Carvalho on the Ethos Behind the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize". Waterstones. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. Bayley, Sian (4 April 2022). "Waterstones launches £5,000 debut fiction prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  3. "Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize". Locus Online. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  4. Zodgekar, Yash; Niva, Yadav (25 August 2022). "Tess Gunty's 'fiercely original' The Rabbit Hutch wins inaugural Waterstones debut fiction prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  5. "Awards: Waterstones Debut Fiction Shortlist". Shelf Awareness. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  6. Doyle, Martin (21 July 2022). "Louise Kennedy on Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize shortlist; Margaret Atwood at Clifden festival". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  7. Shaffi, Sarah (20 July 2022). "Shortlist announced for Waterstones debut fiction prize". the Guardian. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  8. "Alice Winn wins 2023 Waterstones debut fiction prize for In Memoriam". The Guardian. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  9. "Waterstones debut fiction prize shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  10. "The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize Winner 2024". Waterstones. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  11. Skyring, Sophie (3 August 2024). "Norwich's Ferdia Lennon wins Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  12. Cooper-Fiske, Casey (18 June 2024). "'Eye-opening' time travel story shortlisted for debut fiction prize". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  13. Waterstones (10 June 2024). Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2024 Shortlist. Retrieved 19 June 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. "'Eye-opening' time travel story shortlisted for debut fiction prize". www.corklive.ie. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  15. "'A novel to be swept away by': Lucy Steeds wins Waterstones debut fiction prize for The Artist". The Guardian. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  16. Creamer, Ella (18 June 2025). "Waterstone debut fiction prize 2025 shortlist announced". Guardian. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  17. "Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize | Waterstones". www.waterstones.com. Retrieved 25 June 2026.