Win the complete Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction Longlist (That's 20 books – so clear a shelf…)
On the 10th March this year, after wading through and reading 165 fabulous novels, the judging panel for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction announced their chosen longlist for 2015, which represent the best of international fiction written by women between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2015. All the books are listed at the bottom of this post and the good news is, I’m giving the entire collection away! That’s 20 books. That’s a lorra reading.
Set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible, the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible. What a fantastic thing.
“The inspiring female talent on this year’s longlist is exactly why Baileys, a brand that proudly celebrates women, is so honoured to be working with the Prize,” Syl Saller, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo
“The Prize’s 20th year is a particularly strong one for women’s fiction,” commented Shami Chakrabarti, Chair of Judges. “All judges fought hard for their favourites and the result is a 2015 list of 20 to be proud of – with its mix of genres and styles, first-timers and well-known names from around the world. There is a very strong showing of UK writers and we are all incredibly excited about the final stages of the search for the winner.”
The shortlist will be announced on the 13th April and the winner on the 3rd June.
As you all know, Poppy Loves Book Club is going from strength to strength and many of you are already members! Our current book is ‘We Should All Be Feminists’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and in celebration of this wonderful book, the fact that we have just hit 1500 members and to toot the horn of all the wonderful women who have written, are writing and WILL write wonderful literature, I am giving away the entire longlist of this fabulous fiction prize.
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN THE BAILEYS WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION
1. (Compulsory) Leave me a comment below with your favourite childhood book!
And for three additional entires:
2. Twitter: RT my tweet and follow me (@poppy_loves)
3. Instagram: Follow the instructions on my Instagram post (@poppy_loves_london)
4. Head over to my Facebook Page and follow the instructions on my competition post
This competition is open to UK addresses only, so if you would like to enter from abroad, please do, however I will only be able to post to a UK address.
The competition will end next Friday, 3rd April 2015 at midnight, UK time.
Good luck!
JOIN POPPY LOVES BOOK CLUB HERE!
Lauren McMinn
Definitely The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton!
maddalena dalton
my favourite childhood book is The Faraway Tree
milli
Loved Enid Blyton’s ‘Five have a wonderful time’
Amanda
This contest has to be the giveaway I’ve most wanted to win in a long, long time!
Smidge
My favourite is Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. I still read it today!
Lorna Dickinson
I loved Noel Stratfield Ballet shoes and Dogger by Shirley Hughes … Although my twins current favourite is The Elmer Treasury xx
Sarah Rooftops
Definitely Ronja the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren – a girl going off and surviving in a magical forest on her own after deciding she disagrees with her father’s politics. I loved it. I actually still do.
Janine Phillips
The Borrowers x
Jayne K
All the Chronicles of Narnia books
Rhoda K
As a young child I loved ‘Piggy Pink. George’s Marvellous Medicine became a firm favourite when I was a little older.
Sarah
My favourite book growing up was A Tree Growns in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. A fantastic book by a female author, centered around an inspiring girl growing up in poverty in Brooklyn.
Clare
Sweet Frannie – made me cry!
Louise
So many favourite childhood books but probably Anne of Green Gables, I come back to it every couple of years and love it all over again.
Catherine McLean
A necklace of raindrops, I read it over and over!
Elizabeth Hinds
I loved this story! I’ve never heard anybody else mention it 🙂 X
Suze
The Letter for the King is a very special book. I’ve reread it several times.
I’m Dutch, but have a UK address as well.
Rebecca
Kensukes Kingdom
Jenny Long
My favourite childhood book has to be A Thousand Yards of Sea by Adele Geras. A beautiful story that was beautifully illustrated. I still own my copy! Very precious as is now 35 years old and out of print!
Michelle Manley
Charlottes Web – and I still have my original battered copy over 30 years on
Jan Newton
So many to choose from, but probably The Owl Service by Alan Garner
k
My heart broke a little when I saw that the competition is open to UK residents only 🙁 But I understand that shipping costs are high, maybe you could do an international giveaway when a shortlist is announced?
My favourite childhood book is The naughtiest girl is the monitor by Enid Blyton.
Fiona S
My favourite was Little House in the Big Woods, loved that series.
Jules
Flowers in the attic by Virginia Andrews
Alison Joyce
The Faraway Tree
Lorna
The Worst Witch books were by far my favourites. Can’t count the number of times I read them. When I was a bit older then Harry Potter took over as my favourites. Guess witches and wizards were really my thing when I was younger.
Louise Mackin
My favourite childhood book was Matilda
Lisa
Oh it has to be Charlotte’s Web. It still makes me cry even now.
Linda Bilson
My favourite book was Black Beauty even though parts of it made me cry.
Suzanne
ELidor was very imaginative and therefore a great favourite. Being written by a local author made it more interesting.
Angela May
Little Women 🙂
Michelle Cook
George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
Morgan
I think The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay holds a special place. A bad tempered and rude pudding that continually regenerates to be eaten again, and who must be defended by his friends against the pudding thieves!
Irene Wright
The Girl Guide Annual – got one for Christmas every year. Also Enid Blyton – Famous Five was special too
Debra green
My absolute favourites were the Snow Spider books by Jenny Nimmo. Must re-read theses.
Jean T
Little Meg’s Children by Hesba Stretton
Dawn-Carol Taylor
My favourite book was Lorna Doone, I had the story tape too and loved it but the music always spooked me lol. Actually just downloaded it on my kindle so I can read it to my kids x
Emily Hutchinson
The Children of Green Knowe
Leanne
Little Women was always my favourite
Donna
Mystery at Witchend – the first in the fabulous Lone Pine series.
Sarah S
My absolute favourite childhood book was “The Little White Horse” by Elizabeth Goudge. I still have my childhood copy and I read it to my daughter recently and she loved it too.
Harriet
Chinese cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
claire snook
Has to be Matilda by Roald Dahl. I could practically recited the story word perfect!
Lorna Kennedy
So many to choose from, but I always had a soft spot for Swallows and Amazons (yes, that does give my age away a bit!)
Kelly glen
Alfie books by Shirley Hughes.
thekiwibex
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Clare Axton
I absolutely loved The Ballet Shoes. Wonderful book and inspired my life time love of ballet.
Natasha M
I used to love ALL of the worst witch books by Gill Murphy. I keep meaning to get them for my daughter
Sylvia Gaunt
famous five, Robin Hood, little women
katie skeoch
The Whitby witches was a favourite when I was a little older!!
Georgina Hatton-Woods
My favourite childhood book was (and still is) Winnie the Witch 🙂
David
My favourite childhood book: The Three Investigators
Sarah Austin
Goodnight Mister Tom is my absolute favourite childhood book. I still love it xx
Suzy
my fav has already been listed by lots of folks but it
was The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I loved the idea of visiting new worlds each chapter.
Bianca Richards
Amazing prize!! I seem to be flying through my collection of books at the moment so this would certainly set me back a couple of months. Favourite childhood book- Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson
Rachel Gilbey
I loved all of Enid Blyton’s school stories, especially Mallory Towers series and The Twins at St. Clares
Sharon Dryburgh
C.S. Lewis – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was my childhood favourite. Closely followed by Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree
nicola sadler
The enchanted wood by edin blyton
Theresa Douglas
Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden.
Debbie
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Caroll
ann smith
Favourite childhood book was by Enid Blyton and was a Mallory Towers book but read so many cannot remember exact title
Sarah Heslop
Little Women was my favourite!
dawn obrien
I loved all the Enid Blytons famous five books, I still have the whole collection 40 years later and read them with my son, waiting to read them with grandchildren next!
sylvia
Uncle Toms Cabin .read it many times . x
Mary McNamee Marshall
Without hesitation The Secret Garden is my favourite childhood book
Caroline Clarke
Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar.
Jo Jones
The Secret Garden was my fav
Elizabeth Hinds
Gosh, what a question. I loved every single Enid Blyton story, all of the Roald Dahl books, everything written by Jacqueline Wilson. But I have to say that my absolute fave series (can’t choose just one) was Harry Potter! Amazing books.
Lisa Evans
Enid blyton’s st. Clare’s, I read them again and again!!
juliette
My favourite childhood book was The Folk of the Faraway Tree – so many lovely characters
Jen Allford
Alice in Wonderland 🙂
Wendy
My favourite childhood book was Over Sea Under Stone, by Susan Cooper.
(Thank you for offering this prize – I’ve only read two of these books so far, so fingers crossed!)
Marycarol
Loved the Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett! Fantastic giveaway xx
Kirsty F
The Twits by Roald Dahl!
Laura
Black Beauty was my favourite book.
Sarah Platt
I loved ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ by Philippa Pearce :))
Alice LA
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was my favourite book
Sue Dorking
Tom’s Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce. I read this magical book over and over.
Hannah S
Matilda by Roald Dahl 🙂
Bob Clark
Tales of Robin Hood
fozia Akhtar
My favourite has got to be james and the giant peach
Jacqueline Fawcett
Matilda by Roald Dahl was my absolute favourite! 🙂 xx
Elissa
Enid Blyton Famous Five books
Kia
My favourite childhood book was Alice in Wonderland 🙂
Amy Greaves
Roald Dahl’s The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me! Or maybe Esio Trot! Complete with Quentin Blake’s amazing illustrations of course. 🙂
Sophia
Oh I need this prize! So many incredible authors! My favourite was the one and only Harry Potter 🙂 forever my favourite 🙂 x
Small and Happy lifestyle blog
Helen at Casa Costello
It’s got to be The Velveteen Rabbit for me. So lovely x
Jennie
As an early years teacher, I love picture books, so books like the Hungry Caterpillar, and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt are very special to me. When I was a child I devoured Enid Blyton Books. I had some of my Mum’s old copies from when she was little, and they’re still some of my most treasured possessions.
Jennie x
Nonna
Danny the Champion of the World, Roald Dahl.
Beautiful, gentle story of love between a father and son.
Nicola Anderson
Ballet Shoes and White Boots. I loved them both and I was actually loved the TV version of Ballet Shoes with the lovely Emma Watson. Nicola x
Kellie Collister
When We Were Very Young by A A Milne was always my favourite
Hassni
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Magda
My favourite was the Gruffalo!
Christine Constable
My favourite childhood book was ‘The House at Pooh Corner’ by A A Milne
Beverley
My favorite book as a child was and still is The Book Thief. Such a beautiful tale of a young girl’s love of books.
Saoirse Sterling
My favourite childhood book(s) were the Biff, Chip and Kipper ones! I also loved His Dark Materials.
Hilda Hazel Wright
I’m not sure if there is already a comment, I broke it! Oops! But just in case…my favourites were Faraway Tree and anything Enid Blyton, Bunty and Rupert annuals!
Yvonne Marjot
Comet in Moominland – and indeed all Tove Jansson’s Moomintroll books. “All Small Beasts Should Have Bows in their Tails”.
David Paterson
Enid Blyton Circus of Adventure
Mavis Gulliver
I live on a Hebridean island where books for sale are few. We don’t even have a library – just a van that appears from time to time. I don’t want to resort to Amazon so a pile of books like these would be absolutely brilliant – and I’d share them with our book group.
My favourite book when I was six was ‘A Child’s Garden of Verses’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. His poem ‘Travel’ made me want to live on an island – and here I am.
Helen G
Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood. I still own my childhood copy.
Carol Peace
I loved The Water Babies when I was young. That shows my age doesn’t it.
Jodie Cook
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Sheila Sloan
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Kate marsden
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
I always got lost in the story. It took me into a place I wanted to be.
Jade
Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie
Jane
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I still read it most years, it’s truly magical.
Paul T
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl.
Jazz
the very hungry caterpillar 🙂
Sarah Bell
What an amazing prize! My favourite book as a child was “Over Sea Under Stone” by Susan Cooper.
When ever I went on holiday as a child I would hope to find a mysterious treasure map and have a similar adventure.
Susie M
My favourite book was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderfland. I still love it.
Walker Louise
Wow! What a great giveaway. I’m really struggling for my favourite childhood book… I guess at a push it would be The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. I saw the play in London in December it was truly superb, well worth a watch!
Rachel Collins
Fabulous giveaway – thanks so much for the chance! My favourite childhood book was Little Women; I found Jo particularly inspiring and still re-read it now. x
sian hallewell
Winnie the pooh, a very wise bear indeed
Christine Caple
The Adventures of the Little Wooden Horse
Ophelia Chang
Definitely the entire Little Critter series!
Sarah
I had so many favorites… the Mary Poppins series were among the most memorable!
khashoggi
I was obsessed with Watership Down as a kid.
Jane Willis
The Lion, the Witch and the wardrobe – I still love it
Alison Drew
My favourite (difficult to decide) is ‘Charlotte’s Web – E. B. White
liveotherwise
The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden
Leah
A toss up between Harry Potter, The Princess Diaries and The Babysitters Club 🙂 thanks for this amazing giveaway!
Silvana
My fave was Alice in wonderland xx
Catherine Higgins-Moore
The Secret Garden
Drew
All the Secret Seven series
Halina
So hard to choose only one! But…narrowing it right down…I guess The Little Princess.
Priscilla stubbs
My Dad used to read it to me, Christopher Robin
Kathleen Lynch
My favourite book was The a Secret Garden
Steve Walsh
Biggles of 266 Squadron
Cherie DeHaven
I’d love to enter the competition, my favourite childhood book was Isadora Duncan’s autobiography, ‘My Life’
George Evans
I’m a very slow reader; always have been so books weren’t my thing until I had to read Foundation by The Good Doctor; Isaac Asimov! I enjoyed that book so much that, even though they were not required reading, I read the other 2 books of the (then) trilogy.
Years later, I spotted Foundation in an airport bookstore and discovered there were 4 additions to the original trilogy; what a treat!
Andrew Hindley
The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
rachel foster
all the mallory towers books
Rebecca I
I loved George’s Marvellous Medicine. And anything else by Roald Dahl
Mark Palmer
Swallows and Amazons
Kat Glynn
Charlie and the chocolate factory <3
MaryAnn Smith
black maria dianna wynne jones
Denise Prideaux
My favourite childhood book was Kenneth Grahame’s “The Wind In The Willows”.
Jennie Pollock
My favourite childhood book was a biography of Annie Sullivan called ‘Helen Keller’s Teacher.’ I borrowed it from the library so many times, and read it over and over. I just re-found it recently on Amazon. Such a great story of hope and perseverance.
Joanna Wright
My favourite was the Chronicles of Narnia, especially the Horse and his Boy.
Sarah Rachel Wray
I loved Enid Blyton, especially the Faraway Tree books.
Kelly Littlewood
Thumbelina when I was really small, Lord of the Flies in my teen
s
melanie stirling
The Famous Five were my favourite books.
Catherine
My favourite childhood book was Five on a Treasure Island. Read it to my son recently and he loves it as much as me 🙂
Lindsay
Tough one. Little Women, the Chalet School books, Sweet Valley High, Howl’s Moving Castle…I can’t pick just one!
anita casu
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Nick Hopkins
Enid Blyton`s The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
Victoria Gillings
I loved black beauty and would read it endlessly
Rich Tyler
My favourite was MEG & MOG 🙂
Jeremy Hards
Semolina Silkpaws by Gladys Williams. When I was a bit older my favourite was The Hobbit
pam lawrence
My favourite childhood book was Swallows & Amazons by Arthur Ransome – i still reread the whole series regularly!!!
Megan S.
Wow! What a fantastic giveaway! I know that this is a common answer but my childhood books are the Harry Potter books – they have truly changed my life and helped me through some very dark times 🙂
I also followed and RT’ed on twitter – my profile is @WordsThatStay1.
If I was incredibly lucky enough to win, please contact me at megan.clarsach@gmail.com
leanne weir
I love The Borrowers x
Jackie ONeill
Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
Lucy Robinson
Roald Dahl – Madilda
Frances Heaton
Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell
Emily Knight
I love The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken 🙂
Diane Carey
‘Naughty Amelia Jane’ by Enid Blyton
Veronica Lopez-Smith
I have always loved Little Women : )
Nicola Lynch
My favourite childhood book was The Witches. I absolutely loved it and would read it over and over! Can’t wait to read it to my little one when he’s old enough!
Florence Cross
I used to love Gobbolino, the Witch’s Cat by Ursula Moray Williams. It was certainly well read.
Katherine Coldicott
The Borrowers, Mary Norton.
Vanessa F
I loved all the Nancy Drew books, The Hardy Boys and The Three Investigators too. It’s no wonder I still love crime fiction!
Susan Race
My favourite childhood book was “The Magic Faraway Tree” by Enid Blyton.
Jane Middleton
AA Milne’s Winnie the Pooh
sheila
The Borrowers loved the whole series
Andrea A
Black beauty by Anna Sewell
Cat Culmer
The Owl who was afraid of the dark by Jill Thomlinson
Georgie Aronin
The whole Enid Blyton Malory Towers set
Sarah Buckley
I loved the Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton!
Liz
I loved Enid Blyton’s books, especially The Faraway Tree.
tamalyn roberts
hard choice, i loved the famous five series, brer rabbit, the magical faraway tree and malory towers, anything by enid blyton really
Robyn Logan Clarke
Enid Blyton, The Magic Faraway Tree
Em S
Alice in wonderland
George Worboys Wright
My favourite was The Enchanted Wood. I used to read it or The Magic Faraway Tree once a week!
Jacqueline Roberts
The Chronicles of Narnia
Cathryn Bowen
The faraway tree- enid blyton
Alison
Probably the secret garden
Cathy O
What Katy Did – especially as my mum read it to me!
Phoebe
Mine was the secret garden by frances hodgson brunett, loved it!
Sarah Franks
I loved Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!!
Jim Milligan
Children of the New Forest, still enjoy it
Helen
Mary Poppins books
Alison Clark
My favourite was The Far away tree by enid blyton – we had the big hard backed book – me and my brother loved it and it was read to us most weeks.
Georgia McAllister
My childhood favourite was The Hundred and One Dalmations by Dodie Smith.
Kay Broomfield
My favourite childhood book was Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Alisa Moore
The Hobbit was my favourite
Susan Carruthers
The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton was my favourite
Patricia Avery
The Noddy books which Grandma used to teach me to read before I started school progressing to Famous Five and Secret Seven which nurtured what was to become a lifelong passion for books 🙂
Tracy Wells
‘The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark’- Jill Tomlinson. I was afraid of the dark too!
chirag P
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Yvette D
George’s marvellous medicine
Carolyn Montgomery
I used to love the Famous 5 books by ENid Blyton
Marie
Definitely The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry… Still one of my favourite books!