'The Bread The Devil Knead' by Lisa Allen-Agostini longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

The Women’s Prize for Fiction is one of the most prestigious book prizes in the UK right now and a firm favourite with readers. The Women's Prize Trust is a registered charity championing women writers on a global stage. It empowers women to raise their voice and own their story, shining a spotlight on outstanding and ambitious fiction by women from anywhere in the world, regardless of age, race, nationality or background. The prize has helped both launch and boost the careers of some of our most exciting writers over the years, and each stage of the prize is a banner day in the publishing world. This is especially true this year for Myriad, as the incredible The Bread The Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini made the long-list. Previous winners include Susanna Clarke, Maggie O'Farrell, Andrea Levy, Tayari Jones and Ali Smith.

 

Lisa’s book follows Alethea Lopez, about to turn 40, fashionable, feisty and fiercely independent, but behind closed doors she’s covering up bruises from an abusive partner and seeking solace in an affair with her boss. Lorraine Candy, one of the Women’s Prize judges said The Bread The Devil Knead was “really funny and witty, and incredibly well-written – a very smart, different take on subject matter that’s close to a lot of women’s lives.” 

 

We could not be prouder of Lisa and her book, and are honoured to have had a hand in bringing this magnificent book into the world. Lisa’s use of Trinidadian English Creole draws you in to Alethea’s world so beautifully and vividly that you feel as if you have walked the same streets, smelt the same scents, and felt her feelings so profoundly that you cannot help but be changed by her story. The Bread The Devil Knead is one of those books that burrows deep in your mind and settles there for a long time after you have finished. It’s the kind of book you want to press into the palms of your friends, urgently insisting they read it so you have someone to talk about it with.