Simon Mawer

20th February, 2025

The judges and founders of the Prize were deeply saddened to learn of the death of former winner and shortlistee Simon Mawer.  His wonderful novel Tightrope won the Prize in 2016, and he was shortlisted twice, first for The Glass Room in 2010 and then again for Ancestry only two years ago, when he contributed in a typically lively and incisive way to the Prize Colloquium discussions.

Simon wasn’t only an enlightening and engaging presence at our gatherings, but a true supporter of the Prize and of historical fiction generally. His depth and range as a novelist, and his sheer exuberance about the business of writing, will be greatly missed.