For the fifth year in a row, I’ve been involved in judging the McKitterick Prize, which is administered by the Society of Authors, the UK’s trade union for writers, and awarded to a first novel, published or unpublished, by a writer over 40. This was my second time judging the published submissions (rather than the unpublished manuscripts). Today the shortlists for all of the Society of Authors Awards have been announced, so I can share our finalists below.

• Camilla Barnes for The Usual Desire to Kill (Simon & Schuster, Scribner UK)
• Vijay Khurana for The Passenger Seat (Peninsula Press)
• Claire Lynch for A Family Matter (Vintage, Chatto & Windus)
• Sanam Mahloudji for The Persians (4th Estate, HarperCollins)
• Miranda Moore for A Beautiful, Terrible Thing (David Fickling Books)
• Patrick Ryan for Buckeye (Bloomsbury Publishing)

My three fellow judges and I were all asked for 50-word blurbs about the shortlist as a whole. I’m honoured that my overall blurb was chosen to accompany the McKitterick rundown in the press release:

“There’s a fine line between life and death, and the question of whether love can bridge the two is at the crux of these exceptional novels, which feature vibrant styles, powerful themes, and essential voices. No matter how dark things get, readers are in safe hands with such accomplished authors.”

The winner and runner-up will be announced in advance of the SoA Awards ceremony in London on 18 June. I haven’t decided whether to go in person again or watch the livestream. Last year’s afternoon tea for the judges and shortlistees was of a very high standard indeed, and it’s always tempting to pay homage to Southwark Cathedral’s resident cat, Hodge…