Muriel Macleod’s WHAT THE RIVER WASHED AWAY has been chosen as one of a shortlist of five books for the Waverton Good Read award 2013-14. Other writers on the shortlist include Nathan Filer and Graeme Simsion.

Every year the residents of Waverton make an award to the best British debut novel published in the previous 12 months. More than 90 novels were submitted for this year’s prize. Previous winners of the prize include Mark Haddon, Marina Lewycka and Rachel Joyce.

WHAT THE RIVER WASHED AWAY was published by Oneworld in June 2013, and tells the story of a poor black girl abused by white men in early 20th century Louisiana, who takes her revenge.

The winner of the £1000 prize is voted for and announced in July.

Praise for WHAT THE RIVER WASHED AWAY:

“Seeing Arletta and her mother come together as two adults, and the friendship and love that emerges as a result, is moving to witness...There is much to appreciate in this novel” - Laura Farmer, The Gazette

Two Blake Friedmann authors have been longlisted for the 2013-14 Waverton Good Read award. Nora Anne Brown’s THE FLOWER PLANTATION and Muriel Macleod’s WHAT THE RIVER WASHED AWAY have both been chosen among the 31 books on this year’s longlist.

Every year the residents of Waverton make an award to the best British debut novel published in the previous 12 months. More than 90 novels were submitted for this year’s prize from which only 31 made the long list. Previous winners of the prize include Mark Haddon, Marina Lewycka and Rachel Joyce.

Nora Anne Brown’s first novel, THE FLOWER PLANTATION, is set in Rwanda and published by Alma Books in August 2013.

WHAT THE RIVER WASHED AWAY was published by Oneworld in June 2013, and tells the story of a poor black girl abused by white men in early 20th century Louisiana, who takes her revenge.

The shortlist will be announced in March and the winner of the £1000 prize is voted for and announced in July.