The most influential prize for young writers in the UK and Ireland, The Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award today announced its shortlist of four authors. Chief literary critic for The Times and Sunday Times and chair of the jury, Johanna Thomas-Corr, described the four books as ‘defiantly outward looking’ and ‘interested in society and our responsibility to each other,’ at a time when ‘young people are often criticised for living life through their screens.’
Featuring three debuts the 2025 shortlist unites a group of courageous writers defiantly looking outwards to address urgent issues through great compassion and storytelling.
Johanna was joined in the decision by fellow judges, Caleb Femi, Esther Freud, Graham Norton, Sathnam Sanghera and Lea Ypi. The 2025 judges have chosen:
- Ben Brooks’ The Greatest Possible Good (Scribner UK), a comic novel and family saga about father’s decision to become a good man.
- Gurnaik Johal’s debut novel, Saraswati (Serpent’s Tail), in which the protagonist set out to unearth a long lost river in Northern India that reveals buried ties to six distant relatives scattered across the globe.
- Liadan Ní Chuinn’s debut short story collection Every One Still Here (Granta Books), which traces the aftershocks of postconflict Northern Ireland.
- Harry Shukman’s Year of the Rat (Chatto & Windus), an account of his year spent undercover infiltrating far-right groups in the UK.
Johanna Thomas-Corr said: “At a time when young people are often criticised for being too inward-looking and living life through their screens, here are four writers who are defiantly outward looking, engaging with the world in all its complexity. Reading these books resounds with The Sunday Times Get Britain Reading campaign; reading is essential for life and here are young writers, all interested in society and our responsibility to each other. They have produced four very different, very brilliant works that make us think more deeply about our shared humanity.”
Esther Freud said: “The four books on this year’s shortlist couldn’t be more different, but what they do have in common is their engagement with the themes of courage and curiosity, of making sense of the world, of examining the past in order to move into
the future. The stories they tell feel urgent and important.”
Sathnam Sanghera said: “Four very strong voices and four immensely powerful books. This is a terrific shortlist, one that more than lives up to the great traditions of this prize and its mission to find and spotlight distinctive new voices that will flourish in the future. I feel very confident about the way forward for all of these authors, and choosing between them for the winner is going to
be extremely difficult.”
Graham Norton said: “I’ve so enjoyed reading all the entries, and these four finalists are a true reflection of how varied and brilliant the books were this year. All equally ambitious and creative, I can’t imagine how we will choose the eventual winner.”
Caleb Femi said: “This year’s shortlist feels urgent and alive. Each of these books takes real risks in their own way and does so with confidence and precision. What struck me most was the clarity of voice across such different works; each author has created a world that feels distinct and necessary. It’s a shortlist that speaks to the vitality and restlessness of literature right now.”
Lea Ypi said: “This year’s shortlist stands out for the rich diversity of genres that spanned nonfiction, short stories, and novels. Each work offered unique insights into complex political themes and social issues, revealing the versatility, sensitivity and global
outlook of young writers. I am looking forward to seeing how these authors will continue to develop their talents.”
The award has built an unparalleled reputation for seeking and supporting the defining voices of a generation over the past 30 years, with a list of alumni representing the best of British and Irish writing, including Zadie Smith, Robert Macfarlane,
Sarah Waters Simon Armitage, Naomi Alderman and Caryl Phillips and many others. Recent winners include Tom Crewe, Jay Bernard, Raymond Antrobus, Adam Weymouth, Sally Rooney, Max Porter and Sarah Howe.
Sponsored by the Charlotte Aitken Trust since 2021, the award is given annually to the best work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry by a British or Irish author of 35 or under. The winner will receive a prize sum of £10,000 with each shortlisted writer receiving
£1,000.
Continuing the partnership established in 2025, the Barbican Centre will host the annual shortlist event, with a panel chaired by Booker Prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo on Monday 23rd March. Home to a dynamic and provocative artistic programme and a
dedicated champion of young artists, the Barbican partnership aims to bring the shortlisted books to a wider audience, and will focus on reaching younger readers with the Young Barbican programme. Tickets here.
Administered by the Society of Authors, the award works with a growing network of partners each year, including Waterstones, Granta Magazine, The London Library and the British Council, who provide a critical support system to the very best talent at
work right now.
The prize continues to enlist a shadow panel of judges, in which four influential book bloggers read and discuss the four shortlisted titles, decide on their own winner, and produce a ‘Readers on Writers’ interview with each of the authors, published
on the Young Writer Award website.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 24th March 2026 in east London. Keep up to date with the award and join the conversation via: instagram.com/youngwriteryear