LONDON – Exciting news in the literary world! American author Virginia Evans has just won the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction with her novel “The Correspondent.” This book has been creating a buzz and has turned Evans into a literary sensation after she spent years writing seven unpublished novels.
In another remarkable achievement, Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet received the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction for her book “The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan.” Both authors have been awarded a prize of 30,000 pounds (about $40,000), recognizing outstanding contributions from female writers in English from around the globe.
Virginia Evans, who spent two decades writing fiction, finally found her big break during the COVID-19 pandemic with “The Correspondent.” Released quietly in 2025, the story unfolds through letters written by retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp to friends, family, and notable writers over the years. This unique narrative style resonated with readers, making it a bestseller and a favorite among book clubs. Excitingly, a film adaptation featuring Jane Fonda is already in the works!
Julia Gillard, the former Prime Minister of Australia and chair of the fiction judging panel, praised Evans’ novel for its heartfelt portrayal of ordinary life. She noted that the book “captured our hearts” with its genuine storytelling.
Evans reflected on her journey, sharing her experiences with rejection and failure while she worked towards publication. “Why did I keep going? I didn’t know how not to, I guess,” she told The Associated Press. She believed she was writing the book that many people wanted to read, emphasizing its relevance in today’s digital age.
In her words, “The Correspondent” serves as a tribute to the art of handwritten letters, which she sees as essential for preserving personal histories. “If you want to know what happened somewhere, you need to read somebody saying to their mom, ‘This is what happened to me today,'” she explained, highlighting her desire to safeguard these memories.
On the nonfiction side, Lyse Doucet’s work takes readers into the heart of Afghanistan through the lens of the once-glamorous Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul. The hotel stands as a symbol of the country’s complex and turbulent history. Thangam Debbonaire, the head of the nonfiction jury, described Doucet’s book as “a perfect work of narrative non-fiction” backed by years of insightful reporting.
Doucet, who has been covering Afghanistan since the 1980s, aimed to provide a more comprehensive view of the country beyond the typical news snapshots. “My experience from decades of covering countries and people in the hardest of times is that people still have to get up every day and find an everyday courage to get through the day,” she remarked. She noted that even in dark times, humanity often finds ways to bring light and hope.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction, established in 1996, has previously honored renowned authors like Zadie Smith and Barbara Kingsolver. The nonfiction prize, introduced in 2024, aims to address the gender imbalance in the publishing industry, where only 26.5% of nonfiction books reviewed in British newspapers were by women in 2022. Last year, British physician Rachel Clarke won the nonfiction prize for her compelling account of an organ transplant titled “The Story of a Heart.”
