Discover the 10-strong longlist for the £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize, awarded to the most outstanding first novel of the past 12 months from the UK and Ireland. These books focus on themes of romance and reclamation – of freedom, bodies, and identities – with female protagonists featuring in many of the titles.

Stay tuned for the shortlist announcement on 7th June and the winner announcement on 1st July!

In the meantime, enjoy an exclusive reading of Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer who we welcomed onto the Literary Salon's podcast. Listen here.