It’s a pleasure to announce the HWA Crown Awards shortlists for 2023: 18 books celebrating the best in historical writing, fiction and non-fiction, published during 2022–2023. There are three awards categories: HWA Gold Crown, HWA Non-fiction Crown, and HWA Debut Crown.
The books shortlisted for the HWA Crown Awards for 2023 are:
Debut Crown Award 2023 shortlist
Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati (Michael Joseph)
The Debut Crown judges say: Ancient Greece comes to life in this thrilling tale of power and prophecies, of hatred and love. A fresh, powerful story which showcases the life of a remarkable woman in wonderful prose.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Doubleday Books)
An exploration of women’s lives in the 1960s, combining food, science, and celebrity. Wholly original and entertaining, funny and quirky and full of attitude.
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho by Paterson Joseph (Dialogue Books)
Superbly written, the story plunges us into Georgian London vividly bringing the man and his times to life. A heartfelt, touching, witty, and eye-opening read.
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden (Michael Joseph)
Gripping Victorian gothic, deliciously written and with a superb sense of place, this fresh, compelling take on the ‘governess in a lonely house’ novel sends shivers up the spine.
Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead (Head of Zeus)
Murder and magic in 1930s London. A great homage to Golden Age mysteries and a fresh angle on them, this is a witty, enthralling and atmospheric page turner with a fabulous setting and a striking cast of characters.
The Circus Train by Amita Parikh (Sphere)
A circus travelling across Europe in the shadow of World War II is the setting for this brilliantly realised, captivating story. Flowing prose and impeccable structure create a novel which is illuminating, immersive, and magical, too.
The HWA Debut Crown Award judges are: Ayo Onatade (chair), Dan Bassett and Susan Heads.
Non-fiction Crown Award 2023 shortlist
The Siege of Loyalty House by Jessie Childs (The Bodley Head)
The Non-fiction Crown judges say: Sumptuously thick in exquisite and meticulously researched detail, The Siege of Loyalty House allows the reader to see, hear, smell, and feel the Civil War era as never before. Jessie Childs skilfully transports us between a microhistory of Basing House in Hampshire and the broader canvas of 17th-century England — and the globalising wider world — in this sometimes gory, but always enjoyable and remarkable book.
Woman’s Lore: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi by Sarah Clegg (Head of Zeus)
Contemporary myths surrounding mermaids, sirens and demons are taken by the horns in this compelling book. Clegg reveals that these often terrifying figures are actually rooted in women-centred ritual activity from the ancient past and have accompanied us — and been transformed — over millennia to the present day.
Courting India by Nandini Das (Bloomsbury)
A revelatory account of England’s first diplomatic mission to India in the early 17th century, told with great finesse and scholarly heft. A global history with global appeal.
The Captain’s Apprentice by Caroline Davison (Chatto & Windus)
A classical composer’s search for authentic English folk music evolves into a powerful and poignant story of working-class life, culture and memory at the turn of the 20th century. ‘Microhistory’ at its very best.
Super-Infinite by Katherine Rundell (Faber)
Magnificent. If you want to know what the word metaphysical really means, and why John Donne was its greatest exponent, turn to Katharine Rundell’s fascinating portrait of his metamorphosis from lover to priest.
The Holocaust: An Unfinished History by Dan Stone (Penguin)
In this important — and unsettling — book, Dan Stone uncovers the story of the Holocaust well before and far beyond the Nazi death camps. He lays bare the reality of the many other peoples who brutalised and murdered Jews across Europe in a tale of endless horror that many will be unfamiliar with and everyone should read.
The HWA Non-fiction Crown Award judges are: Jagjeet Lally (chair), Jad Adams, Sushma Jansari, Jacqueline Riding and Ros Taylor.
Gold Crown Award 2023 shortlist
River Spirit by Leila Aboulela (Saqi)
The Gold Crown judges say: 1890s Sudan. A compelling, urgent, necessary and masterfully told story. All the more valuable for its uncompromising voice and control of craft. Immersive and fascinating.
The Colour Storm by Damien Dibben (Michael Joseph)
A vivid, richly evocative trail of romance, ambition and intrigue through the paint-spattered studios and marble halls of Renaissance Venice. Dibben writes as though he possesses a sixth sense, and an eye that observes with the grace, energy and, yes, colour of the painters he captures so well on the page. Beautiful, emotional, thrilling.
The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner (Head of Zeus)
Set in Regency England, in a world where the supernatural collides with scientific developments, this glittering jewel of a novel tells the story of Neva Tarshin, who is born with the gift of predicting the weather. Using her skill to gain mobility and social independence at a time when most young women had no option but to marry, the orphaned Neva defies the restrictions of her gender and in doing so embarks on some dangerous adventures. Charismatic, magical, with fascinating characters, The Weather Woman is the work of a talented writer at the height of her powers.
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Picador)
Kiran Millwood Hargrave creates an incredibly vivid and poignant tale of 1518 Strasbourg and the effects of faith, love, hope, and power. A beautifully-created set of characters find their way into your heart. Journey along with them as they face a multitude of events resulting in this remarkable, evocative narrative. The Dance Tree is a book that will remain with you, always.
The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry (Riverrun)
A beautifully-written study of Thomas Hardy’s first marriage which explores grief and regret in an incredibly human way. Lowry’s prose is powerful and compelling and demonstrates not just a love of Hardy’s work but also real insight into the tales we tell ourselves to mask our frailties and delusions.
Dark Earth by Rebecca Stott (4th Estate)
A spellbinding tale of two sisters fighting for their survival in a post-Roman London where violence and superstition stalk their every move. Filled with folklore and myth and evocative world-building, this is an immersive and endlessly vivid novel.
The HWA Gold Crown Award judges are: Emma Darwin (chair), Theodore Brun, Essie Fox, Catherine Hokin, Miranda Malins, Amy McElroy and Sunny Singh.
Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors!
And thank you to our judges. They now have the difficult job of selecting just one winner in each category.
The HWA Crown Award winners will be announced at our awards ceremony on 22 November, 2023.
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