By Mythily Merai, Daisy Shayegan, Grace Briggs-Jones and Harry Banham
The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, established in 2022, is an annual award from Waterstones, a leading UK bookseller. It aims to recognise and promote emerging literary talent by highlighting debut novels. Winning or being shortlisted can significantly boost an author’s visibility and career prospects. Award winners receive £5,000 in support of all Waterstones stores. The prize is open to debut fiction of all genres. The shortlist was announced on 19th June, and the prize winner was revealed on 25th July. So, let’s dive in!
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
First on the shortlist is Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. This instant New York Times bestseller follows a newly sober Cyrus Shams as he embarks on a search for knowledge about, and meaning, in his mother’s senseless death. Cyrus has become obsessed with martyrdom: an idea littered throughout the novel with images of an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as an angel of death and a painter with a terminal illness living out her last days in the Brooklyn Museum. With a final revelation being made to Cyrus, this novel is original, darkly funny and deeply contemplative.
Born in Tehran, Akbar moved to the US at age two. He has a PhD in creative writing from Florida State University. His poetry has appeared in the New Yorker and New York Times, winning the Levis Reading Prize and several Pushcart Prizes.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Next is The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, a genre-blending, time-hopping story packed with comedy, mystery and romance. Bradley has published short fiction in literary magazines, including Electric Literature, Catapult, Somesuch Stories and The Willowherb Review. In 2022, she won the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and the V. S. Pritchard Short Story Prize.
Revolving around the titular Ministry of Time and set in a near-future London, Bradley’s debut novel follows Victorian-era polar explorer Commander Graham Gore as he is transported through time as part of a government experiment. Part historical fiction, part science fiction, this assured debut is sure to have something for everyone, from contemporary social commentary to fish-out-of-water hijinks.
The Silence In Between by Josie Ferguson
Josie Ferguson’s first novel is third on the shortlist and tells the story of a family separated by political forces and their journey towards reunification. The Swedish-born author grew up in Scotland before returning to Sweden to obtain a degree in Clinical Psychology and then moving to London to pursue a career in publishing. She now lives in Singapore and works as a freelance editor.
The Silence In Between is set in 1960s Berlin and is a powerful study of trauma and how massive historical moments affect individuals. Jumping between World War Two Germany and Cold War Berlin, this shortlisted work of historical fiction promises a touching, thought-provoking story of family and hope.
Mongrel by Hanako Footman
Hanako Footman’s strikingly beautiful prose in Mongrel is next on the shortlist. Growing up, Footman found few narrative books reflecting her experiences as a British-Japanese person, and her debut novel partially stems from a desire to give a voice to others who felt similarly. Mongrel interweaves the stories of three women exploring grief, identity and the politics of desire. Hailed by Buzz Magazine as “[a] sublime and lyrical debut,” Footman masterfully tangles a web of desire, isolation, belonging and hope, leaving readers eagerly awaiting her next novel.
Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly
Rebecca K Reilly’s debut Greta & Valdin also makes the list. Reilly is from Waitākere City in West Auckland and has an MA in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington.
Greta & Valdin was published in the UK and US in 2024, having received much critical attention in New Zealand, where it was published in 2021. The novel follows the eponymous siblings of Russian, Catalonian and Māori descent as they explore their racial identity and queerness in the socio-political sphere of New Zealand, a country haunted by its colonial past. The novel has the reader laughing at the relatable themes of unrequited love and self-discovery as the siblings find their way into adulthood in their sprawling, eccentric family.
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
And finally, to the winner: an incredibly moving debut novel set in 412 BC Sicily, featuring two local potters and a group of captured Athenian soldiers. Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon follows Lampo and Gelon, two young men with no work and no money, who stumble upon a group of prisoners reciting lines from the plays of Euripides. A crazy idea is born, lines are blurred and courage is tested in this “comic riff on Greek Tragedy, with an Irish accent.” Head of Books at Waterstones, Bea Carvalho, praised Lennon’s debut for “bring[ing] the ancient world to life in technicolour […] with a charmingly eccentric cast of characters.”
Lennon's fascination with ancient Greece started at an early age, and he later studied History and Classics at University College Dublin, fueling his ability to craft such a compelling narrative. It is hard to believe that such an audacious and moving tragicomedy could be Lennon’s first novel. We cannot wait to see what he does next!
Congratulations to a very worthy winner and runners-up.
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