Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, every year

Shortlist

• Whidbey T. Kira Madden

  
  Whidbey by T. Kira Madden
• A Real Animal Emeline Atwood
  A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood
• Blow Yourself Up Ankur Thakkar
  Blow Yourself Up by Ankur Thakkar
• Carrying Samantha Josephs
  Carrying by Samantha Josephs
• Offscreen Avigayl Sharp
  Offscreen by Avigayl Sharp
• Ruins, Child Giada Scodellaro
  Ruins, Child by Giada Scodellaro
• The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford Nafissa Thompson-Spires
  The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires

Also on the shortlist

• Loca Alejandro Heredia

  
  Loca by Alejandro Heredia
• We Pretty Pieces of Flesh Colwill Brown

  
  We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown
• Ibis Justin Haynes
  Ibis by Justin Haynes
• Liquid Mariam Rahmani
  Liquid by Mariam Rahmani
• Optional Practical Training Shubha Sunder
  Optional Practical Training by Shubha Sunder
• The Devil Three Times Rickey Fayne
  The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne

Also on the shortlist

• Fire Exit Morgan Talty

  
  Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
• Headshot Rita Bullwinkel

  
  Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
• Misinterpretation Ledia Xhoga

  
  Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga
• Y/N Esther Yi

  
  Y/N by Esther Yi
• Ask Me Again Clare Sestanovich
  Ask Me Again by Clare Sestanovich
• The Fertile Earth Ruthvika Rao
  The Fertile Earth by Ruthvika Rao
• They Dream in Gold Mai Sennaar
  They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar

Also on the shortlist

• Family Lore Elizabeth Acevedo

  
  Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
• Moonrise Over New Jessup Jamila Minnicks

  
  Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks
• Lookout Christine Byl
  Lookout by Christine Byl
• Night Wherever We Go Tracey Rose Peyton
  Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton
• Pay as You Go Eskor David Johnson
  Pay as You Go by Eskor David Johnson

Also on the shortlist

• Little Rabbit Alyssa Songsiridej

  
  Little Rabbit by Alyssa Songsiridej
• The Immortal King Rao Vauhini Vara

  
  The Immortal King Rao by Vauhini Vara
• The School for Good Mothers Jessamine Chan

  
  The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
• Big Girl Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
  Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan
• Brown Girls Daphne Palasi Andreades
  Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades
• NSFW Isabel Kaplan
  NSFW by Isabel Kaplan

Also on the shortlist

• Build Your House Around My Body Violet Kupersmith

  
  Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith
• No One Is Talking About This Patricia Lockwood

  
  No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
• Swimming Back to Trout River Linda Rui Feng

  
  Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
• The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

  
  The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
• Brood Jackie Polzin
  Brood by Jackie Polzin
• The City of Good Death Priyanka Champaneri
  The City of Good Death by Priyanka Champaneri

Also on the shortlist

• How Much of These Hills Is Gold C Pam Zhang

  
  How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang
• Indelicacy Amina Cain

  
  Indelicacy by Amina Cain
• Shuggie Bain Douglas Stuart

  
  Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
• Temporary Hilary Leichter
  Temporary by Hilary Leichter
• The Redshirt Corey Sobel
  The Redshirt by Corey Sobel
• These Ghosts Are Family Maisy Card
  These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card

Also on the shortlist

• American Spy Lauren Wilkinson

  
  American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
• Disappearing Earth Julia Phillips

  
  Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
• On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous Ocean Vuong

  
  On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
• Bangkok Wakes to Rain Pitchaya Sudbanthad
  Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
• Fall Back Down When I Die Joe Wilkins
  Fall Back Down When I Die by Joe Wilkins
• The Unpassing Chia-Chia Lin
  The Unpassing by Chia-Chia Lin

Also on the shortlist

• Asymmetry Lisa Halliday

  
  Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday
• Confessions of the Fox Jordy Rosenberg

  
  Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
• Freshwater Akwaeke Emezi

  
  Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
• Pretend I’m Dead Jean Beagin
  Pretend I’m Dead by Jean Beagin
• The Parking Lot Attendant Nafkote Tamirat
  The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat
• Trenton Makes Tadzio Koelb
  Trenton Makes by Tadzio Koelb

Also on the shortlist

• Spaceman of Bohemia Jaroslav Kalfař

  
  Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař
• As Lie Is to Grin Simeon Marsalis
  As Lie Is to Grin by Simeon Marsalis
• Empire of Glass Kaitlin Solimine
  Empire of Glass by Kaitlin Solimine
• The Second Mrs. Hockaday Susan Rivers
  The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers
• Tiger Pelt Annabelle Kim
  Tiger Pelt by Annabelle Kim
• What to Do About the Solomons Bethany Ball
  What to Do About the Solomons by Bethany Ball

Also on the shortlist

• Here Comes the Sun Nicole Dennis-Benn

  
  Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn
• Homegoing Yaa Gyasi

  
  Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• The Girls Emma Cline

  
  The Girls by Emma Cline
• How I Became a North Korean Krys Lee
  How I Became a North Korean by Krys Lee
• We Love You, Charlie Freeman Kaitlyn Greenidge
  We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge
• What Belongs to You Garth Greenwell
  What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell

Also on the shortlist

• The Fishermen Chigozie Obioma

  
  The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
• The Turner House Angela Flournoy

  
  The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
• After the Parade Lori Ostlund
  After the Parade by Lori Ostlund
• Against the Country Ben Metcalf
  Against the Country by Ben Metcalf
• Bright Lines Tanwi Nandini Islam
  Bright Lines by Tanwi Nandini Islam
• The Unfortunates Sophie McManus
  The Unfortunates by Sophie McManus

Also on the shortlist

• Fourth of July Creek Smith Henderson

  
  Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
• The Enchanted Rene Denfeld

  
  The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld
• We Are Not Ourselves Matthew Thomas

  
  We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas
• The Great Glass Sea Josh Weil
  The Great Glass Sea by Josh Weil
• The Invention of Exile Vanessa Manko
  The Invention of Exile by Vanessa Manko
• The Land of Steady Habits Ted Thompson
  The Land of Steady Habits by Ted Thompson

Also on the shortlist

• A Constellation of Vital Phenomena Anthony Marra

  
  A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
• Eleven Days Lea Carpenter

  
  Eleven Days by Lea Carpenter
• Ghana Must Go Taiye Selasi

  
  Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
• Y Marjorie Celona

  
  Y by Marjorie Celona
• Motherlunge Kirstin Scott
  Motherlunge by Kirstin Scott
• The Morels Christopher Hacker
  The Morels by Christopher Hacker
• The Residue Years Mitchell S. Jackson
  The Residue Years by Mitchell S. Jackson

Also on the shortlist

• Absolution Patrick Flanery

  
  Absolution by Patrick Flanery
• Alif the Unseen G. Willow Wilson

  
  Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
• The Dog Stars Peter Heller

  
  The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
• The Snow Child Eowyn Ivey

  
  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• The Yellow Birds Kevin Powers

  
  The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
• Girlchild Tupelo Hassman
  Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
• Seating Arrangements Maggie Shipstead
  Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

Also on the shortlist

• Touch Alexi Zentner

  
  Touch by Alexi Zentner
• Caribou Island David Vann
  Caribou Island by David Vann
• Daughters of the Revolution Carolyn Cooke
  Daughters of the Revolution by Carolyn Cooke
• Shards Ismet Prcic
  Shards by Ismet Prcic
• The History of History Ida Hattemer-Higgins
  The History of History by Ida Hattemer-Higgins
• The Sweet Relief of Missing Children Sarah Braunstein
  The Sweet Relief of Missing Children by Sarah Braunstein

Also on the shortlist

• The Invisible Bridge Julie Orringer

  
  The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
• Beneath the Lion’s Gaze Maaza Mengiste
  Beneath the Lion’s Gaze by Maaza Mengiste
• Mr. Peanut Adam Ross
  Mr. Peanut by Adam Ross
• The Quickening Michelle Hoover
  The Quickening by Michelle Hoover
• The Report Jessica Francis Kane
  The Report by Jessica Francis Kane
• This Is Just Exactly Like You Drew Perry
  This Is Just Exactly Like You by Drew Perry