Winner of Women's Prize for Fiction 2026 (UK)
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans has won the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction. An uplifting and moving novel that confronts the hubris of youth with the wisdom of older age, the 2026 judges described it as “exemplary”, and having “captured their hearts”.
84 Charing Cross Road meets A Man Called Ove in this heartwarming, witty story about the life of an extraordinary woman, told through her letters.
In her letters to family and friends we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp- stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word. But as the clock begins to tick for Sybil, the need for a few post-scripts to the life she's led becomes apparent. Fixing her difficult relationship with her children. Taking a final chance at romance.
Atoning for an old legal case which has come back to haunt her. And finally, reckoning with a devastating loss that she has spent the last thirty years holding close to her chest.
Virginia Evans is from the East Coast of the United States. She attended James Madison University for her bachelor's in English literature. After starting a family, she went back to school for her master's of philosophy in creative writing at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she studied under tutors including Claire Keegan and Kevin Power.
Paperback / softback Trade paperback (UK) (Text) 288pp
h233mm x w153mm x s23mm 352g Trade paperback (UK)