The Goldfinch, Tartt's long-awaited third novel, is bookies' favourite for Baileys prize, with no British authors in contention
American author Donna Tartt, above, is bookmaker William Hill's 2/1 favourite to win the Baileys women’s prize for fiction, followed by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at 3/1
Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch – either an astonishing masterpiece or tedious, overlong turkey of a novel depending on which critic you read – is favourite to win the UK's only annual book prize for fiction written by women.
The long-awaited novel was one of six shortlisted for the 2014 Baileys women's prize for fiction and will go up against a book it has already done battle with in one of America's most prestigious prizes, the National Book Critics Circle award.
That was won by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for her third novel Americanah. The other novels on the Baileys shortlist are Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland and three debut novels: Hannah Kent's Burial Rites, Audrey Magee's The Undertaking and Eimear McBride's A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing.
The chair of judges Helen Fraser said they were very excited by the six books. "It is a very diverse list and a very global list. There were many books on the longlist that were very good all the way through but the six books here leaped beyond that in to something really extraordinary."
The winner of the prize, sponsored for the first time by Baileys, will be announced on 4 June.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – review
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent – review
A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride – review
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – review
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri's – review
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee – review
More
The long-awaited novel was one of six shortlisted for the 2014 Baileys women's prize for fiction and will go up against a book it has already done battle with in one of America's most prestigious prizes, the National Book Critics Circle award.
That was won by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for her third novel Americanah. The other novels on the Baileys shortlist are Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland and three debut novels: Hannah Kent's Burial Rites, Audrey Magee's The Undertaking and Eimear McBride's A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing.
The chair of judges Helen Fraser said they were very excited by the six books. "It is a very diverse list and a very global list. There were many books on the longlist that were very good all the way through but the six books here leaped beyond that in to something really extraordinary."
The winner of the prize, sponsored for the first time by Baileys, will be announced on 4 June.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – review
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent – review
A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride – review
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – review
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri's – review
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee – review
More
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