Booklist

Gordon Burn Prize Shortlist 2021

Selected by the Bookshop


The Gordon Burn Prize, named in honour of the genre-bending Scottish writer, seeks out literature that is ‘forward-thinking and fearless in both ambition and execution.’

This year’s shortlist has just been announced, and as usual, it’s full of good stuff: Hanif Abdurraqib’s meditation on Black performance, A Little Devil in America; Tabitha Lasley’s account of life on an off-shore oil rig, Sea State; brilliant novels from Sam Byers, Jenni Fagan and Salena Godden; and Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s already much-garlanded and uncategorisably original work A Ghost in the Throat.

The winner will be announced on 14 October.

From the publisher:
LONG-LISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2021* 'Exceptional...' Observer * 'Unforgettable...' TLS * 'Outstanding...' Irish Times *'Sam Byers’s mastery of tone and attentiveness to every psychological shift…

From the publisher:
Featured in Damian Barr's picks for 2021Chosen as one of the Best Books of 2021 in the Telegraph'If this addictive slice of Edinburgh Gothic isn't on all prize lists, there is no justice.' iNews 'Over time, 10 Luckenbooth Close sinks from…

From the publisher:
LONGLISTED FOR THE GORDON BURN PRIZE'Gorgeous' - Brit Bennett'Pure genius' - Jacqueline Woodson'One of the most dynamic books I have ever read' - Clint SmithAt the March on Washington, Josephine Baker reflected on her life and her legacy.…

From the publisher:
A true original. In this stunningly unusual prose debut, Doireann Ní Ghríofa sculpts essay and autofiction to explore inner life and the deep connection felt between two writers centuries apart. In the 1700s, an Irish…

From the publisher:
‘Sea State marks the arrival of a gifted and exciting new voice’ Jon McGregor, author of Reservoir 13A candid examination of the life of North Sea oil riggers, and an explosive portrayal of masculinity, loneliness and…

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