Women's Prize for Fiction 2022: Complete list of winners

Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness claimed the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction, cementing the acclaimed author’s place among contemporary literature’s most vital voices. The novel, a capacious meditation on grief, identity, and connection, follows a deaf teenager navigating a world of sensory disconnection after his father’s death. Ozeki’s ability to render the interior lives of her characters with such precision and empathy has long distinguished her work, and this ambitious 2021 novel represents perhaps her most expansive exploration yet of how we make meaning in the face of loss.

The Women’s Prize for Fiction, established in 1996 to celebrate outstanding novels written by women, continues to shine a spotlight on works that might otherwise be overlooked by more traditional literary institutions. Ozeki’s win adds another recognition to her already impressive accolades, though her work has consistently resonated with readers and critics alike. At over 800 pages, The Book of Form and Emptiness isn’t a slim, immediately accessible book—it demands patience and attention—yet the 2022 Women’s Prize recognized that some of literature’s most meaningful achievements require exactly that kind of commitment from readers.

Below, you’ll find complete details about the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction winner and the broader significance of Ozeki’s recognition this year.

Fiction

• The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki