The US Center for Fiction has announced the longlist for this year’s First Novel Prize; two African authors are on it.

The longlist includes 25 books selected from a list of 144 submitted titles with US release dates between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.

Among the authors of African descent who made it into the selection is the Zambian-American writer Iris Mwanza for her novel The Lion’s Den (Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House) and the Senegalese writer Mai Sennar for her novel They live in gold (Zando/SJP Lit).

Established in 2006, the First Novel Prize honors the best debut novel of the year and supports important emerging voices in fiction. Each year, the winner of the First Novel Prize receives a cash award of $15,000 in recognition of their contribution to the contemporary literary canon and to support their ongoing creative career. The First Novel Prize is awarded for a debut novel published in the United States between January 1 and December 31 of the competition year.

The shortlisted authors will read from their works and meet with the public at the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Fête on Friday, December 6, 2024. The winner of the First Novel Prize will be announced at the Center’s annual benefit awards ceremony on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.