PhD student long-listed for Man Booker Prize

Fiona Mozley is currently in the third year of her PhD in medieval eco-politics. To be nominated for the prestigious Man Booker Prize is an incredible achievement. To have made the long list is astounding.

Her novel, Elmet, will be published on 10 August and tells the story of a father and two children who build a home for themselves in a copse in South Yorkshire.

Writing and her PhD

Fiona found the novel and her research complemented one another: "There’s a lot of creativity that has to go into a PhD, even though it is much more rigorous than writing a novel... I found writing the novel helped my PhD and vice versa."

Yorkshire lass

Fiona did her undergraduate degree in Cambridge, but comes originally from York. She started writing the novel when working for a literary agent in London when she realised she "missed the landscape of home."

She continued writing as she returned to York for her PhD with the Centre for Medieval Studies, finishing the novel last summer.

The Man Booker

The Man Booker Prize was established in 1969 and is one of the most prestigious awards in the literary world. The recognition and readership the award offers can transform a writer's career... along with the £50,000 prize. Shortlisted authors receive £2,500.

The shortlist is due to be announced on 13 September 2017, with the winner announced on 17 October 2017.

We wish Fiona all the very best of luck. Simply being long-listed is incredible.