The six titles shortlisted for the 2024 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award announced July 25 includes two works of genre interest: 

• Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Michael Joseph)
• Lady Macbethad by Isabelle Schuler (Raven Books)

The award, judged by a team at Goldsboro Books in London, is called “the only prize that rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction.” It is given annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized”.

The complete shortlist is at the link. The winner, who will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade glass bell, will be named on September 26.

The fourteen titles longlisted for the 2024 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award announced June 21 include four works of genre interest: 

• Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Michael Joseph)
• Chain-Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Harvill Secker)
• Weyward by Emilia Hart (Borough Press)
• Godkiller by Hannah Kaner (HarperVoyager)

The award, judged by a team at Goldsboro Books in London, is called “the only prize that rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction.” It is given annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized”.

The complete longlist is at the link. The winner, who will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade glass bell, will be named on September 26.

Ayanna Lloyd Banwo has been named the winner of the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2023 for her debut novel, When We Were Birds, a mythic love story set in Trinidad and Tobago.

The award, judged by a team at Goldsboro Books in London, is called “the only prize that rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction.” It is given annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized”.

The winner receives £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade glass bell.

The shortlist for the 2023 Glass Bell Award, announced July 27, includes five works of genre interest: 

• When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
• The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews
• Metronome by Tom Watson
• Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The award, judged by a team at Goldsboro Books in London, is called “the only prize that rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction.” It is given annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized”.

The winner, who will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade glass bell, will be named on September 28.

The twelve titles longlisted for the 2023 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award announced June 8 include seven works of genre interest: 

• When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
• The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews
• Metronome by Tom Watson
• The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk
• The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi
• Pandora by Susan Stokes Chapman
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The award, judged by a team at Goldsboro Books in London, is called “the only prize that rewards storytelling in all genres – from romance, thrillers and ghost stories, to historical, speculative and literary fiction.” It is given annually to “a compelling novel with brilliant characterization and a distinct voice that is confidently written and assuredly realized”.

The shortlist will be announced on July 27. The winner, who will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade glass bell, will be named on September 28.

The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022 has been awarded to Elodie Harper for The Wolf Den, the first novel in a new trilogy re-imagining the lives of the forgotten women of Pompeii’s brothels, published by Head of Zeus. It follows Amara – a young woman sold into slavery and sent to work at Pompeii’s famous brothel – who is determined to regain her freedom.

The winner will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell.

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.”

One work of genre interest was on the six-book shortlist, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.

The shortlist for the 2022 Glass Bell Award, announced July 28, contains only one of the four books of genre interest that were on the twelve title longlist. That work is: 

• Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

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 winner, who will receive both £2,000, and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell, will be announced on September 8.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]

The twelve titles longlisted for the 2022 Glass Bell Award, announced June 9 include four works of genre interest: 

• Sistersong by Lucy Holland
• Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
• The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
• Threadneedle by Cari Thomas

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 July 28. The winner, who will receive both £2,000, and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell, will be announced on September 8.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]

The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2021 has been awarded to debut author Clare Whitfield for her psychological thriller People of Abandoned Character, a take on the Jack the Ripper story published by Head of Zeus. It follows the perspective of the newly married Susannah, who begins to wonder whether her abusive and volatile husband might be responsible for the Whitechapel Murders. 

The winner will receive £2,000 and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell.

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.”

Two works of genre interest were on the six-book shortlist, The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant and The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton.

The six titles shortlisted for the 2021 Glass Bell Award, announced August 5 include two works of genre interest: The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant and The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton. 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 winner, who will receive both £2,000, and a beautiful, handmade, engraved glass bell, will be announced on September 30.

[Thanks to Cora Buhlert for the story.]