Queen Camilla surprises Women's Prize winners: See which books won the award
The Women’s Prize has crowned its 2025 winners.
The UK charity chose Yael van der Wouden and her 2024 novel “The Safekeep” as this year’s Women’s Prize for fiction winner at a ceremony June 12. “The Story of a Heart” by Dr. Rachel Clarke won the prize for nonfiction.
The Prize's 30th anniversary festivities were fit for a queen – literally. Queen Camilla made a surprise appearance June 11, meeting with shortlisted authors and praising the impact of the Women's Prize.
Established in 1996 to further gender equality in literature prizes, the Women’s Prize bestows the annual honor to the author of what judges determine is the best full-length novel of the year written in English and published in the UK. Winners receive about £30,000 (about $35,000) and a bronze statue. Previous winners include Barbara Kingsolver (the Prize’s only two-time honoree), Tayari Jones and Zadie Smith.
Yael van der Wouden, Rachel Clarke win 2025 Women’s Prize
Dutch author Van der Wouden’s “The Safekeep” is set in World War II. Uptight Isabel lives alone in her late mother’s home in a rural Dutch province and her life of routine is upended when her brother invites his new girlfriend – her polar opposite – to live with her. But in the backdrop of a continually waging war, Isabel’s anger toward Eva eventually turns to a personal discovery and infatuation.
“The Safekeep” was also shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize and won the National Jewish Book Award for debut fiction.
“‘The Safekeep’ is that rare thing: a masterful blend of history, suspense and historical authenticity. Every word is perfectly placed, page after page revealing an aspect of war and the Holocaust that has been, until now, mostly unexplored in fiction,” said Kit de Waal, chair of judges, in a press release. “It is also a love story with beautifully rendered intimate scenes written with delicacy and compelling eroticism. This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come. Books like this don’t come along every day.”
British palliative care doctor, author and former broadcast journalist Dr. Clarke’s “The Story of a Heart” is the nonfiction winner. It weaves the history of the medical technology behind heart transplant surgery through the story of two families connected through one heart after a young girl is injured in a catastrophic car accident and a young boy receives her heart.
“‘The Story of a Heart’ left a deep and long-lasting impression on us. Clarke’s writing is authoritative, beautiful and compassionate. The research is meticulous, and the storytelling is expertly crafted. She holds this precious story with great care and tells it with dignity, interweaving the history of transplant surgery seamlessly,” said Kavita Puri, chair of judges, in a press release. “This is a book where humanity shines through on every page, from the selfless act of the parents who gift their daughter’s heart in the depths of despair, to the dedication of the NHS workers. It is unforgettable, and will be read for many years to come.”
2025 Women’s Prize shortlisted nominees
This year’s Women’s Prize shortlist featured several American authors, including Miranda July, Elizabeth Strout, Sanam Mahloudji and Chloe Dalton. Here is the full list for both the fiction and nonfiction prizes:
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
- "Good Girl" by Aria Aber
- "All Fours" by Miranda July
- "The Persians" by Sanam Mahloudji
- "Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout
- "The Safekeep" by Yael van der Wouden
- "Fundamentally" by Nussaibah Younis
Women's Prize for Nonfiction shortlist
- "A Thousand Threads" by Neneh Cherry
- "The Story of a Heart" by Rachel Clarke
- "Raising Hare" by Chloe Dalton
- "Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Courageous WW2 Resistance Fighter Elżbieta Zawacka" by Clare Mulley
- "What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean" by Helen Scales
- "Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China" by Yuan Yang
Clare Mulroy is Paste BN’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.