We are delighted that Will Dean’s highly acclaimed thriller, THE LAST THING TO BURN, has been longlisted for The Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2022.
Now in its sixth year, the Glass Bell Award celebrates the best storytelling across contemporary fiction, regardless of genre. The other titles longlisted for this year’s prize include: TALL BONES by Anna Bailey, MRS MARCH by Virginia Feito, THE WOLF DEN by Elodie Harper, THE OTHER BLACK GIRL by Zakiya Dalila Harris, SISTERSONG by Lucy Holland, THE PROPHETS by Robert Jones Jr, THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki, ARIADNE by Jennifer Saint, DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, THREADNEEDLE by Cari Thomas and WE ARE ALL BIRDS OF UGANDA by Hafsa Zayyan.
David Headley, Goldsboro Books co-founder and MD, and founder of the Glass Bell, says: ‘Every year, we are chomping at the bit to get together and discuss our favourite books published in the previous year; and 2022 was no exception. Once again, the longlist is incredibly exciting and without one weak link. Every year, the judging process gets more difficult as the standard of publishing continues to grow - this year might be our trickiest yet.’
The shortlist of six will be announced on 28th July, with the winner revealed on 8th September.
THE LAST THING TO BURN is an extraordinary story of resilience and determination in the most chilling of circumstances. As well as winning praise from both readers and reviewers, THE LAST THING TO BURN has been longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, as well as voted International Book of the Year by the Rick O’Shea Book Club. It was first published by Hodder Books in January 2021, and is now available to buy in paperback.
Will’s most recent standalone, FIRST BORN, was published by Hodder on 14th April 2022. He is also the author of the Tuva Moodyson Mysteries, a crime series set in Sweden and published by Oneworld. The fifth instalment, WOLF PACK, will be published later this year.
Praise for THE LAST THING TO BURN:
‘This is a brilliant, chilling depiction of life on the very edges of society. I read it in one sitting, and lived every second of the book with the characters. Compelling, horrifying and gripping, and written with such empathy and control, it's probably the best thing I will read this year’ — Jane Casey
‘MISERY meets ROOM ... a triumph’ — Marian Keyes
‘Ratchets up the tension to the point where I had to check my pulse’ — Liz Nugent
‘Brilliantly written... Terrifying’ — Ruth Ware
‘Outstanding. The best thriller in years’ — Martina Cole
‘THE LAST THING TO BURN is one of the best thrillers I have read in years: I consumed it in great gulps, desperate to find out how Thanh Dao’s story played out, and then read it again, more slowly, savouring her courage and her unvanquished sense of self, despite everything.’ — Alison Flood, Observer
Credit: Rosalind Hobley
About Will Dean:
Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying law at the LSE, and working many varied jobs in London, he settled in rural Sweden with his wife. He built a wooden house in a boggy forest clearing and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes.
Follow Will on Twitter and Instagram, and visit his YouTube channel.