Young Writer of the Year Award 2017 shortlist

After posting earlier this week about my involvement on this year’s shadow panel, today I am delighted to be able to share the shortlist of five books, one of which will win the PFD Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award for 2017.

Without further ado, they are:

Minoo Dinshaw: Outlandish Knight: The Byzantine Life of Steven Runciman
Biography (Penguin)

Claire North: The End of the Day
Novel (Orbit)

Julianne Pachico: The Lucky Ones
Short stories (Faber)

Sally Rooney: Conversations with Friends
Novel (Faber)

Sara Taylor: The Lauras
Novel (Heinemann)

I haven’t read any of them yet. For the first time, the judges have shortlisted five books, normally they pick four. November is going to be an interesting month of reading.

My initial plan is to post some first thoughts in a day or two, then my own full reviews of each book as I read it.  Later, to quote Loyd Grossman*, the Shadow Judges will meet to convene our “Judgely Huddle” later to pick our winner and I’m sure we’ll be talking amongst ourselves in between.


* Grossman was the first host of Masterchef on the telly back in 1990 – a very different animal to today’s show, but it was compelling TV at the time. Three amateur chefs cooked a three course meal which was judged by a trio of Grossman, a top chef of the day like Anton Mosimann and a celebrity.

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