The shortlist for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction is out, sparking a vital conversation: Does the term “women’s writing” still make sense today, and is a prize like Women's Prize for Fiction just DEI?
From opposite sides of the Atlantic, @ksenijapopovic and Sue Graham Johnston dive deep into the cultural politics of literary prizes, whether male writing is still the default universal standard, and whether we need a corrective mechanism. We also share our personal favorite female authors and why their books made an impact on us.

📚 BOOKS MENTIONED:
• The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
• Heart the Lover by Lily King
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Secret History by Donna Tartt
• The Goldfinsh by Donna Tartt
• The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
• The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric

✨ DEEPEN THE CONVERSATION
Read our complete weekly breakdowns, curated reading lists, and additional essays over on our Substack. Join our community of mature readers:
💌 Our Substack & Show Notes: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/

📚 EXPLORE OUR HOSTS' WORK & READING LISTS
• Read Ksenija's Novels: https://transatlanticbookmarks.substack.com/p/publications
• Ksenija on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6449766.Ksenija_Popovi_

🎙️ ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC BOOKMARKS
A weekly literary podcast hosted by European novelist Ksenija Popović and American engineer Sue Graham Johnston. From opposite sides of the Atlantic, we bring you thoughtful, relaxed, and witty conversations about contemporary fiction, classic literature, award shortlists, and the human questions hiding inside the books we read.

New episodes are released every week.

👉🏻 CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:14 The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
04:35 Heart the Lover by Lily King
05:33 The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
07:05 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
07:24 Defining Women's Fiction
12:20 Women Read More
13:06 The Balkan Perspective
15:53 The American Perspective
19:59 The Disparity in Literary Awards
22:42 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver and the Opioid Epidemic
33:20 Is Women's Prize for Fiction DEI?
41:55 Do We Read more Female or Male Authors?
46:04 The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
47:39 Donna Tart's Goldfinch and Secret History
50:00 Ivo Andric's Short Story
53:20 Book Recommendations