Twelve of the best historical novelists have been longlisted for a £25,000 award named after famous Scottish writer and poet Sir Walter Scott.
There Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction longlist will be narrowed down from 12 to a shortlist in May, with the winner announced at the Borders Book Festival in June.
The novels on the longlist are:
The Heart In Winter by Kevin Barry
The Catchers by Xan Brooks
Mother Naked by Glen James Brown
Clear by Carys Davies
The Mare by Angharad Hampshire
The Book of Days by Francesca Kay
The First Friend by Malcolm Knox
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh
The Land In Winter by Andrew Miller
Munichs by David Peace
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden.
More than half the books on the list are from independent publishers and small presses.
The settings of the longlisted novels span centuries, and even millennia, right up to events within living memory.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was a novelist, historian, poet and playwright.
The prize is managed by the Abbotsford Trust with support from the Hawthornden Foundation, the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust and the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry in memory of Elizabeth Buccleuch.
Chairwoman of the judges Katie Grant said: “It has been exciting to read the diverse crop of novels on the WSP 2025 Longlist.
“We’ve discovered little-known aspects of our collective pasts, experienced excesses of human behaviour and been placed so authentically in the middle of the action that we’ve felt part of the action.
“We’re delighted to celebrate debut and emerging writers published by small presses, as well as more established authors and publishers.
“With two new judges on board, including one of the first winners of the Young Walter Scott Prize, we look forward to testing these novels against the prize criteria of originality, innovation, longevity and quality, and then debating the merits of all twelve books and choosing our shortlist later this spring.”
Matthew Maxwell Scott, Walter Scott’s great-great-great-great grandson and trustee of The Abbotsford Trust, which operates the Prize, said: “Walter Scott, founding father of the historical novel, understood that our present is shaped by the tales we tell ourselves of the past.
“The Walter Scott Prize, now run from the vibrant hub of his great home, Abbotsford, shines a spotlight on the very best new historical fiction from across the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth.
“In recognising excellence, the prize honours Scott’s legacy by inspiring more people to discover the joy and value of historical fiction, supporting both new and established writers in their careers and bringing readers and authors of this illustrious genre together to celebrate and question each other.”
