The twelve titles longlisted for the 2020 Glass Bell Award, announced April 6, include five works of genre interest: Robert Harris’ The Second Sleep, Anita Frank’s The Lost Ones, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, Stephen Chbosky’s Imaginary Friend, and Jay Kristoff’s Darkdawn: Book Three of the Nevernight Chronicle. The complete list is at the link.

The Glass Bell Award was established in 2017 by independent bookstore Goldsboro Books and rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction. It is awarded annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized.”

The shortlist of six will be announced on May 11. The winner, who will receive both £2,000, and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell, will be announced on July 2.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]