Right, it’s Goldsmiths Prize season. 2025 has not been a prolific year for me in terms of either reading or blogging, and I don’t like that one bit. Maybe a read-along with one of my favourite awards will revitalise things.

The Goldsmiths Prize is for “fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form.” This year’s shortlist was announced last night, and our contenders are:

  • We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown (Chatto & Windus)
  • The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward (Merky Books)
  • Helm by Sarah Hall (Faber)
  • The Expansion Project by Ben Pester (Granta)
  • Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter (Particular Books)
  • We Live Here Now by C.D. Rose (Melville House)

I haven’t read any of the books to date, and don’t have any preconceptions, so there is not much else for me to say right now. The titles above will turn into links as and when I post reviews. The winner will be announced on 5 November, so let’s see how far I get. Here’s to the journey!