Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead Wins The Women's Prize For Fiction 2023

On June 14 the UK's most prestigious annual book award celebrating and honouring fiction written by women - The Women's Prize for Fiction has announced its winner 2023. For the second time in her writing history Barbara Kingsolver has won the prize with her reimagining of Dickens’ David Copperfield for modern times in Demon Copperhead.

It is a heartfelt, gritty, poignant novel set in the Appalachian mountains in Virginia, USA, which tells the story of the relentless struggles and triumphs of a young boy born into poverty as he navigates foster care, labour exploitation, addiction, love and loss, while grappling with his invisibility in a culture that neglects rural communities.

As stated by Chair of judges and author and journalist Louise Minchin, "Barbara Kingsolver has written a towering, deeply powerful and significant book. In a year of outstanding fiction by women, we made a unanimous decision on Demon Copperhead as our winner. Brilliant and visceral, it is storytelling by an author at the top of her game. We were all deeply moved by Demon, his gentle optimism, resilience and determination despite everything being set against him... An exposé of modern America, its opioid crisis and the detrimental treatment of deprived and maligned communities, Demon Copperhead tackles universal themes - from addiction and poverty, to family, love, and the power of friendship and art - it packs a triumphant emotional punch, and is a novel that will withstand the test of time.”

Last year the prize was handed to Ruth Ozeki's The Book of Form and Emptiness.

Source: https://womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/2023-prize