Fourth Estate
“This is a brilliantly inventive debut novel, set within a colony of bees. Flora is a humble sanitation worker bee who, by virtue of a special gift, manages to escape her lowly existence. The Bees is about cults, the caste system, misogyny – even climate change. It has the allegorical power of Animal Farm, and the humanity of Tarka the Otter. I found it a joy to read.” – Cathy Newman, Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2015 Judge
Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is deemed fit only to clean her orchard hive. Yet Flora has talents that are not typical of her kin. And while mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is reassigned to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting nectar and pollen on the wing. Before long she finds her way into the Queen’s inner sanctum, learning secrets both sublime and ominous.
Flora’s ascent disturbs the natural hierarchy of the colony, incensing powerful enemies. But when she feels compelled to break the most sacred law of all, Flora’s instincts are overwhelmed by love, as all-consuming as it is forbidden….
Laline Paull
Kamila Shamsie
Ali Smith
Anne Tyler
Sarah Waters
PP Wong
Sara Taylor
Rachel Seiffert
Marie Phillips
Sandra Newman
Emily St. John Mandel
Emma Healey
Samantha Harvey
Xiaolu Guo
Patricia Ferguson
Lissa Evans
Laline Paull
Kamila Shamsie
Ali Smith
Anne Tyler
Sarah Waters
Heather O'Neill
Barbara Kingsolver
Ruth Ozeki
Susanna Clarke
Maggie O'Farrell
Tayari Jones
Kamila Shamsie
Naomi Alderman
Lisa McInerney
Ali Smith
Eimear McBride
A.M. Homes
Madeline Miller
Téa Obreht
Barbara Kingsolver
Marilynne Robinson
Rose Tremain
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Lionel Shriver
Andrea Levy
Valerie Martin
Ann Patchett
Kate Grenville
Linda Grant
Suzanne Berne
Carol Shields
Anne Michaels
Helen Dunmore
Tune into host Vick Hope and a line-up of incredible guests on our weekly podcast full of unmissable book recommendations.
Join the Women's Prize newsletter for a chance to win a stack of all 6 brilliant 2023 shortlisted books, and get the latest book news, author features and exciting competitions! (You can unsubscribe at any time)*
