The winner of the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award (now in its 72nd year) will be announced at a dinner at the National Liberal Club on Weds 20 May 2026. The prize will be presented by this year’s guest adjudicator, the biographer, historian, and journalist Anne Sebba.

Wednesday 20 May,

7.00pm Fizz reception

7.30 pm Dinner

David Lloyd George Room, National Liberal Club, London SW1A 2HE

The two-course dinner with wine costs £55.00 per person. 

Cloudless by Rupert Dastur (Fig Tree)

A detailed, atmospheric and layered novel set in the hills outside Llandudno. Dastur displays immense compassion for his flawed yet deeply human characters as their powerlessness in the face of war unfolds.

Where You Go, I Will Go by Christina Fonthes (Tinder Press)

Fonthes navigates love, religion, misogyny, homophobia and the enduring impact of trauma in her captivating and tender debut. The novel is deftly plotted, gathering tension as it moves towards its dramatic denouement.

The Fisherman’s Gift by Julia Kelly (Harvill Secker)

Set in 1900 in an isolated Scottish fishing village, this bittersweet story explores grief and loss, and the power of love and redemption. The tensions and fierce emotions of a small community are eloquently captured.

Muckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen (Faber)

Pedersen conjures a world of rare beauty; an island divorced from modern life and its effects on its two long-term inhabitants. Linguistically dexterous, this is an extraordinary poetic imagining of life in a remote wilderness.

Shibboleth by Thomas Peermohamed Lambert (Europa Editions)

Set in a modern, multicultural and multinational Oxford college, this topical campus novel is a glorious satire of contemporary student politics, prevailing values, and the weaponising of individual identity.

The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis (Hutchinson Heinemann)

A taut, immersive tale of misogyny and superstition in a rural 18^th century Oxfordshire community centred on the persecution of five wayward sisters. Purvis’s characterisation, narrative drive, and powers of description are superb.

Lucy Popescu, chairing the judging panel, commented: “We are delighted to announce our shortlist of six thrilling debuts. These talented novelists explore diverse themes including hidden lives, obsession and desire, displacement and survival, belonging and identity, rural life, masculinity, love and loss. Alongside these affecting inner journeys, the books travel through landscapes as varied as north Wales, Oxford, London, Scotland’s northern shores and former Zaire. These vivid, finely crafted novels are memorable for their strong storytelling and emotional depth.”

To book please contact the booking office at bookings@nlc.org.uk or call 020 7968 0912. Please book early and inform the club of any dietary requirements.