--- title: "The Books on the Longlist for the Baileys Prize for Womens Fiction 2016 ..." description: "A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson; Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett; Ruby by Cynthia Bond; The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks; The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers; More ..." url: "https://books.allwomenstalk.com/the-books-on-the-longlist-for-the-baileys-prize-for-womens-fiction/" category: "books" last_updated: "2026-05-25" --- # The Books on the Longlist for the Baileys Prize for Womens Fiction 2016 ... The Bailey’s Prize for Women’s Fiction is one of the UK’s premier literary awards. (Yes – that Bailey’s – cheers!). It is open to any female author who writes in the English language and the list usually has a good global representation and mix of ethnicities. Some are names familiar to you but over half this year’s longlist are debut novelists – definitely something to be proud of. The list of 20 will become 6 finalists with the prize winner being announced on June 7 in London. ## 1. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson ![A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/xc/nf/npw4gst856ebcb5a444cb823456246_500x500.jpg) A touching story about an old fashioned man who faces daily challenges in a rapidly modernizing world. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 2. Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett ![Rush Oh! by Shirley Barrett](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/ku/ws/y62ifgcl56ebcb5a919e9871360925_500x500.jpg) Set in 1908, this book tells the charming story of a young girl’s coming of age during a tough whaling season in New South Wales. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 3. Ruby by Cynthia Bond ![Ruby by Cynthia Bond](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/jc/nc/dpj73u8r56ebcb6016d12192080426_600x925.jpg) A truly memorable novel about a man and his campaign to protect the woman he loves from a town who wants to destroy her. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 4. The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks ![The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/vy/fq/t7myiakf56ebcb5a4f62e451842938_500x500.jpg) An ambitious novel that takes on the iconic biblical story of David and tries to tell it in a new and revolutionary way. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 5. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers ![The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/zh/ls/cg4z2nqm56ebcb5cd6607338727778_500x500.jpg) Get wrapped up in this endlessly entertaining sci-fi romp that focuses on a young explorer adventuring across the galaxy. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 6. A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton ![A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding by Jackie Copleton](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/k2/a5/ja5k1e3i56ebcb5bcfa44004047766_500x500.jpg) If you loved Memoirs Of A Geisha, you will definitely be a fan of this new novel about family, love, forgiveness and pain. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 7. Whispers through a Megaphone by Rachel Elliott ![Whispers through a Megaphone by Rachel Elliott](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/mu/aa/o1oz4afr56ebcb5f986e3737446820_600x926.jpg) A touching romantic novel about a shy woman who finally decides to venture out of her comfort zone in an attempt to find love. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 8. The Green Road by Anne Enright ![The Green Road by Anne Enright](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/i5/kw/fmtjxjd956ebcb5d8a6b6328241139_500x500.jpg) A classic feeling tale that spans the ups and downs of a family over thirty eventful years. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 9. The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah ![The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/yg/nr/q360tcw756ebcb5fdd780002028501_600x915.jpg) An incredible book told from the perspective of an albino woman who is serving time in a Zimbabwe prison for a murder conviction. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 10. Gorsky by Vesna Goldsworthy ![Gorsky by Vesna Goldsworthy](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/gr/kq/jm8b2euf56ebcb615d546246380212_600x831.jpg) A real page turner of a novel that incorporates elegance, romance and an addictive dose of danger. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 11. The Anatomist’s Dream by Clio Gray ![The Anatomist’s Dream by Clio Gray](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/xf/nn/v82113vn56ebcb5f7b0de061151858_500x500.jpg) A brilliant novel that tells the story of a boy born with a skull abnormality who is forced to grow up in a travelling carnival. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 12. At Hawthorn Time by Melissa Harrison ![At Hawthorn Time by Melissa Harrison](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/u4/bt/tgufamn356ebcb6007493580526810_500x500.jpg) A sweeping novel that features the overlapping lives of a group of people, with themes including consumerism, identity, and people’s personal boundaries. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 13. Pleasantville by Attica Locke ![Pleasantville by Attica Locke](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/mz/cn/mk0rfkpg56ebcb620276e450336712_500x500.jpg) This novel by the producer of hit show Empire sees the return of lawyer Jay Porter who becomes mixed up in a tale of dangerous politics and intrigue. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 14. The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney ![The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/fk/w5/fdq5rtvs56ebcb61be2b4073507466_500x500.jpg) A gripping and at times dark novel that highlights the culture and institutions of contemporary Ireland. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 15. The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie ![The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/fw/q5/qs7iwv9d56ebcb62d40a0981897522_500x500.jpg) A really unique novel about dysfunctional families, love, nature and money, and all the good and bad sides of those themes. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 16. Girl at Way by Sara Novic ![Girl at Way by Sara Novic](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/gg/hj/tgw0mpa156ebcb6602a34379934245_600x886.jpg) An amazing story about a ten-year-old tomboy growing up in the war torn centre of Yugoslavia. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 17. The House at the Edge of World by Julia Rochester ![The House at the Edge of World by Julia Rochester](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/ng/cg/jqeb4iag56ebcb6239e14671481465_500x500.jpg) A brilliant debut novel that incorporates psychological drama and mystery to create a truly unforgettable read. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 18. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild ![The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/lf/qs/jdffugfc56ebcb6412b09987202973_500x500.jpg) Another debut novel, this time about the comings and goings in the background of a popular London auction house. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 19. My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout ![My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/uh/rv/pa1ubs9o56ebcb648f0d0622396206_500x500.jpg) A touching story about a mother and daughter than revolves around a simple, unassuming visit to a hospital. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) ## 20. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara ![A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara](https://resize.allw.mn/1028x0/filters:format(webp)/filters:quality(70)/content/m0/hl/urtpe8ab56ebcb64c1ede592633169_500x500.jpg) One of the most popular books of the last year, a story of four graduates classmates and their move to New York to find success and fortune. Buy at: [amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com?ref=allwomenstalk.com) I hope you check out some of these great reads. Congratulations to all the longlist authors and good luck! ## Related Posts - [Books to Read for Women Curious about Womens Right...](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/read-these-books-to-learn-more-about-womens-rights/) - [10 Summer Reads for Girls Who Love Adventure Stori...](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/summer-reads-for-girls-who-love-adventure/) - [lee hyeon seo memoir](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/autobiography-lovers-will-love-to-read-these-memoirs/) - [11 Great Books to Teach Fierce Feminist Life Lesso...](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/books-with-fierce-feminist-life-lessons/) - [best non fiction books to read on vacation](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/ultimate-non-fiction-books-to-read-before-summer-is-out/) - [books like slaughterhouse five](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/books-you-wont-find-on-a-syllabus-that-every-teenager-should-read/) - [Girls Who Love Short Stories Can Lose Themselves i...](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/girls-who-love-short-stories-can-lose-themselves-in-these-literary-mags/) - [uplifting books for women](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/uplifting-books-for-women-who-need-to-turbo-charge-their-mood/) - [10 Quick and Quirky Reads for Women Who Love a Go...](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/quick-and-quirky-reads-for-women-who-love-to-laugh/) - [books that are being turned into movies](https://movies.allwomenstalk.com/remarkable-books-that-are-being-made-into-movies/) - [A List of the Books in the Twilight Series ...](https://twilight.allwomenstalk.com/a-list-of-the-books-in-the-twilight-series/) - [7 Super-Interesting New Book Releases ...](https://lifestyle.allwomenstalk.com/super-interesting-new-book-releases/) ## Site Information - [Main page](https://allwomenstalk.com) - [Contact us](https://allwomenstalk.com/contact.html) - [HTML article](https://books.allwomenstalk.com/the-books-on-the-longlist-for-the-baileys-prize-for-womens-fiction/)