The Guardian First Book Award longlist

We are in the delightful position of congratulating two of our debut authors on their longlisting for the 2015 Guardian First Book Award.

Gavin McCrea's Mrs Engels tells the story of Lizzie Burns, the poor Irishwoman who married Frederick Engels, the co-author of The Communist Manifesto. It has been called ‘an assured, beautifully-written debut’ (The Spectator), ‘triumphant ... dazzlingly convincing’ (The Times), and ‘a fine symphony’ (The Guardian).

Chigozie Obioma's The Fishermen is the tale of four brothers, growing up in a small town in Nigeria in the 1980s, whose bond is shattered by the prophecy of a madman. It has been described as ‘ingenious, subtle, ambitious and intriguing’ (Times Literary Supplement), and ‘striking, controlled and masterfully taut’ (Financial Times), with Obioma being hailed as the ‘heir to Chinua Abeche’ (New York Times).

You can see the full longlist here.