Australian author Charlotte Wood has made history by being longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize for her latest novel, Stone Yard Devotional. This prestigious award, worth £50,000 ($98,000), is one of the most esteemed in international literature. Wood is the first Australian to be longlisted for the prize since J.M. Coetzee in 2016. In response to the news, Wood expressed her delight and gratitude, stating that being named alongside such outstanding writers from around the world is an extraordinary honor.
Wood’s novel is up against 12 other writers from various countries, including past shortlistees like Hisham Matar, Percival Everett, Richard Powers, and Rachel Kushner. This year’s longlist also features the first Native American and Dutch authors to ever be in the running for the prize: Tommy Orange and Yael van der Wouden, respectively. The judging panel for the 2024 Booker Prize includes notable figures such as artist and writer Edmund de Waal, authors Sara Collins and Yiyun Li, The Guardian fiction editor Justine Jordan, and producer and composer Nitin Sawhney.
Stone Yard Devotional tells the story of a woman who leaves her marriage and city life to live in a convent near her hometown in regional New South Wales. The novel explores themes of introspection, change, and unexpected encounters, including a mouse plague and a reunion with a woman from her past who is now a celebrity nun. Despite missing out on the shortlist for Australia’s most prestigious literary award, the Miles Franklin, Wood’s book has received critical acclaim and recognition, including being shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for fiction.
Wood’s writing process for Stone Yard Devotional was deeply influenced by personal experiences of grief. After her older sister and herself were diagnosed with breast cancer, Wood channeled these emotions into later drafts of the novel, resulting in a more profound and rigorous narrative. The author’s willingness to trust her instincts and take risks in her writing led to what she describes as her deepest book yet.
Reflecting on the impact of literary prizes on her career, Wood emphasized the importance of awards that provide financial support to writers. While acknowledging the benefits of prizes, she also cautioned against solely relying on them to discover new books, urging readers to explore outside of prize lists and follow their own interests and recommendations.
As the anticipation builds for the announcement of the Booker Prize shortlist and winner, readers and literary enthusiasts alike can look forward to engaging with the diverse and compelling works of fiction that have been recognized in this year’s longlist. Charlotte Wood’s inclusion in this esteemed lineup is a testament to her talent and the universal themes explored in Stone Yard Devotional.