One of the many magical things about reading is that you can open a book and transport yourself to anywhere in the world, or even to a new world entirely, without having to leave the comfort of your own sofa.

In this series, we are going to travel across the globe with just our Women’s Prize library as our passport, starting off with the picturesque, green hills of Ireland.

Winner of the 2014 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Hailed by Anne Enright as “an instant classic”, Eimear McBride’s debut novel is a revelation. Stepping inside the protagonist’s head, McBride beautifully captures what it is like to be a young woman and the trial and tribulations that comes with it whilst also juggling a ranting Catholic mother and a disabled brother.

Winner of the 2016 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Based in the ‘arse end of Ireland’ or Cork city, Lisa McInerney’s debut novels features drugs, young love and the Holy Trinity and guarantees a gripping read. Spotlighting an overlooked part of Ireland, The Glorious Heresies explores the hidden strength that lies within us all, and asks when our backs are against the wall, how far can we dig in to save ourselves?

Shortlisted for the 2016 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Set against the backdrop of Ireland’s Atlantic coast, The Green Road tells the story of four siblings who head back to their family home for one last Christmas before their mother sells it. A compassionate character study, we follow Dan, Constance, Hanna and Emmet as their new independent lives collide with their intertwined past.

Shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Telling the story of the Troubles in Northern Ireland set in a nameless city from the perspective of an 18-year-old girl, The Milkman is a triumphant and powerful read. The book-loving narrator tells her story of falling for a man many years her senior through her funny, unique and ultimately optimistic prose.

Longlisted for the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction

“A book that defined a generation”, Sally Rooney’s infamous novel follows the lives of Marianne and Connell as they try and navigate the painful transition from childhood to adulthood whilst figuring out their feelings for each other along the way. Painful, heartbreaking and full of joy, you will fall in love with these characters and think about them for years to come.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Showcasing the violence and fractured loyalties that plagued 1970’s Belfast, Louise Kennedy’s debut asks what happens when a young Catholic woman and an older married Protestant fall in love? Political and poetic, Trespasses tells the story of two people trying to lead a complete life against a fractured backdrop.

Shortlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction

In Claire Kilroy’s first book in over a decade, she takes us deep into the mind of her unforgettable heroine. Exploring the clash of fierce love for her young son with a seismic change to her own identity, Kilroy honestly presents the emotional intensity of early motherhood – the bone-tiredness, the times of panic, the terrifyingly deep love as well as the powerlessness of being a primary carer. Soldier, Sailor is an incredibly moving – and often funny – story of love, motherhood and identity.