The rags-to-riches tale had already made fans of Zadie Smith and Dua Lipa. Roddy Doyle, who chaired the judging panel, called the book “singular” and “extraordinary.”
Witty mysteries, cottagecore fantasies and bighearted classics provide a dose of warmth and comfort to bolster you through the long, cold nights ahead.
Novels by Karen Russell and Bryan Washington are among those vying for the award in fiction, while books about Gaza, foster care and women in Russia are up for the nonfiction prize.