Prize - Paul Torday

This Year's Judges

The 2023 prize judges are Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm, Kathy O’Shaughnessy and Andrew Taylor.

Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm

Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm is a writer, novelist, journalist, radio presenter and speaker, with a background in gender-based violence and domestic abuse. Her first novel, Swimming With Fishes was published in 2017 and her second, Love Again, in 2020.... Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm is a writer, novelist, journalist, radio presenter and speaker, with a background in gender-based violence and domestic abuse. Her first novel, Swimming With Fishes was published in 2017 and her second, Love Again, in 2020.More

Kathy O’Shaughnessy

Kathy O’Shaughnessy has reviewed books for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, Financial Times, Independent, The Observer, TLS, New Statesman, The Spectator, and others... Kathy O’Shaughnessy has reviewed books for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, Financial Times, Independent, The Observer, TLS, New Statesman, The Spectator, and others. She has worked as Deputy Editor on the Literary Review, Arts & Books Editor of Vogue, Literary Editor of The European, and Deputy Editor of The Telegraph Arts & Books. Her stories have been published in Faber’s First Fictions, and she edited and introduced Drago Stambuk’s poems, Incompatible Animals. Her novel In Love With George Eliot won the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2021.More

Andrew Taylor

Andrew is a bestselling crime and historical novelist, and the winner of the Diamond Dagger of the Crime Writers Association, the Gold Crown of the Historical Writers Association and many other awards.... Andrew is a bestselling crime and historical novelist, and the winner of the Diamond Dagger of the Crime Writers Association, the Gold Crown of the Historical Writers Association and many other awards. He has written nearly fifty books, three of which have been televised. More

This Year's Shortlist

The shortlist for the Paul Torday Memorial Prize 2023 is:

Tony Curtis for Darkness in the City of Light (Seren Books)
Jonathan Franklin for Red Road Green (Sparsile Books Ltd)
Bonnie Garmus for Lessons in Chemistry (Doubleday, Penguin Random House)
Julie Owen Moylan for That Green Eyed Girl (Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House)
Reverend Richard Coles for Murder Before Evensong (Weidenfeld & Nicholson)

Judge Kathy O’Shaughnessy said:

‘From historical novels to thrillers to romance, the novels on this shortlist were wonderfully varied. It was a pleasure to see such excellent writing, whether set in the Amazon or a local English village, or 1950s America, or Paris in the war. Each book showed a true writer’s commitment to making the subject come alive, and compellingly pulled this reader forward.’

The 2022 Prize winner: Jane Fraser

PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE WINNER 2022: JANE FRASER FOR ADVENT (HONNO PRESS) AWARDED £1,000

Jane Fraser has been widely published in anthologies and reviews including New Welsh Review, The Lonely Crowd, Fish Publishing, TSS and The London Magazine. Her short fiction has been commissioned by BBC Radio 4 and broadcast as part of its Short Works series.

Her short stories have figured highly in major international competitions: in 2017 she was a finalist in the Manchester Fiction Prize (and has also been highly commended eight times), and in 2018 was a prize winner in the Fish Memoir Prize. She has also long and shortlisted in the Cambridge Short Story Prize, the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Prize, the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition and Retreat West Short Story Competition.

She is winner of both the British Haiku Society and Genjuan International Prize for haibun.

PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE 2022 RUNNER-UP: MICHAL MALLON FOR THE DISCIPLE (ZULEIKA)

Michael Mallon was born in 1960. He has lived between Italy, France and America. He now lives in Philadelphia. This is his first book.