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Kingfisher
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION
“A gentle and compassionate novel that explores the nuances of queer love and friendship.” The Guardian, Derek Owusu
“a tenderly written meditation on art, love and life that’s as much about the search for self as for connection.” Marie Claire, editor’s pick
“Kelly writes the messiness of power dynamics well.” Telegraph
A creative writing academic falls under the spell of his colleague, a poet whose life seems to shimmer with a freedom he cannot reach. At home, there is beautiful, steady, safe. But the poet is something else entirely—she is restless, luminous, untouchable.
As his fixation deepens, the boundaries between admiration, desire and possession begin to blur. The poet, his Kingfisher, draws him further from the life he knows, into a world shaped by art, longing and illusion.
Then illness arrives, closing in on them all, and the tightrope he’s been walking starts to sway.
Kingfisher is a beautifully crafted novel of queer desire and ambition, grief and creativity, and the fine lines between intimacy and obsession.
“A gentle and compassionate novel that explores the nuances of queer love and friendship.” The Guardian, Derek Owusu
“a tenderly written meditation on art, love and life that’s as much about the search for self as for connection.” Marie Claire, editor’s pick
“Kelly writes the messiness of power dynamics well.” Telegraph
A creative writing academic falls under the spell of his colleague, a poet whose life seems to shimmer with a freedom he cannot reach. At home, there is beautiful, steady, safe. But the poet is something else entirely—she is restless, luminous, untouchable.
As his fixation deepens, the boundaries between admiration, desire and possession begin to blur. The poet, his Kingfisher, draws him further from the life he knows, into a world shaped by art, longing and illusion.
Then illness arrives, closing in on them all, and the tightrope he’s been walking starts to sway.
Kingfisher is a beautifully crafted novel of queer desire and ambition, grief and creativity, and the fine lines between intimacy and obsession.
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First published April 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
May 12, 2026
Parts of this book had me shaking for the first 100 pages or so. Rozie Kelly did a nice job capturing several taut feelings: yearning for someone new, falling out of love with someone old, and living in the shadow of a parent’s past abuse. There was a certain controlled intensity in the first 100 pages or so of Kingfisher that at its best reminded me of Sally Rooney’s writing, the wanting and heartache and coming to terms with complex desire.
Unfortunately, around the 60% mark of Kingfisher some of the angst started to get old to me. Elements of this story felt like the trope of adults engaging in open relationships to avoid addressing the issues in their primary relationship. There were a lot of relational dynamics that were just never really addressed explicitly by the characters, which was unsatisfying. Sure, I understand that in novels it’s not like every dysfunctional couple will go to couples therapy and hash out all the dynamics going on. At the same time the lack of actual resolution or growth, especially from the protagonist, was disappointing. So, I liked parts of this novel though the final product didn’t wow me.
Unfortunately, around the 60% mark of Kingfisher some of the angst started to get old to me. Elements of this story felt like the trope of adults engaging in open relationships to avoid addressing the issues in their primary relationship. There were a lot of relational dynamics that were just never really addressed explicitly by the characters, which was unsatisfying. Sure, I understand that in novels it’s not like every dysfunctional couple will go to couples therapy and hash out all the dynamics going on. At the same time the lack of actual resolution or growth, especially from the protagonist, was disappointing. So, I liked parts of this novel though the final product didn’t wow me.
April 4, 2026
Kingfisher is a perceptive, funny, and tender novel, and at no point while reading it did I know what direction it was going in. I had some preconceptions of where it might end up based on the synopsis and general literary fiction patterns, but I was pleasantly surprised when those expectations were subverted.
The balance of humour and emotion is expertly demonstrated in this novel. It is melancholic both thematically and tonally, but never veers too far into the saccharine. The cast of characters is small, but each is so well crafted, and their relationships are painfully realistic, serving as vehicles to examine what we owe the people in our lives, and the tension between expectation and what we are willing to give.
It has beautiful, soothing writing that sucked me in from the first page; I read it over a weekend because I couldn’t put it down. It also has a perfect first line and last line, which is a feat within itself.
The balance of humour and emotion is expertly demonstrated in this novel. It is melancholic both thematically and tonally, but never veers too far into the saccharine. The cast of characters is small, but each is so well crafted, and their relationships are painfully realistic, serving as vehicles to examine what we owe the people in our lives, and the tension between expectation and what we are willing to give.
It has beautiful, soothing writing that sucked me in from the first page; I read it over a weekend because I couldn’t put it down. It also has a perfect first line and last line, which is a feat within itself.
February 22, 2025
I don’t think I have the words for how much I love this book yet
March 21, 2026
"She smelled like jasmine. No, not exactly. She smelled like the earth beneath a jasmine plant on a hot day.
Most of us are poets, she said. It’s just a question of how it comes out."
Might be an unpopular opinion, but I do not like books that have protagonists with no redeeming qualities. I saw someone compare Rozie Kelly with Sally Rooney and I went "now it makes sense!" - I am not a fan of masochistic characters who wantonly choose to derail their lives. Of course, except in this case, I just didn't understand the central character.
In Kingfisher, a creative writing professor in a stable relationship becomes infatuated with his older colleague, “the poet”—enough to leave his partner, Michael. Michael, is someone who endures the professor’s difficult, homophobic mother and navigates the complexities of an open relationship (polyamorous) —something the protagonist can neither accept nor articulate. What follows is a kind of identity drift, where the professor shifts versions of himself depending on whether he is with his partner, his mother, his friend Jennifer, or the poet herself, who is slowly dying.
On paper, this fluidity—this polymorphism of self—should make for a compelling psychological exploration. But I found myself unable to get past the protagonist’s inner world. No amount of elegant prose could quite bridge that gap for me.
And the prose is elegant. The recurring bird imagery is striking, and there’s a lyrical quality to the writing that often elevates even the more uncomfortable moments. The novel does gather some emotional momentum toward the end—but by then, I had already stopped investing in the central character.
Maybe I missed the point. Maybe the point is the messiness—the lack of resolution, the discomfort, the emotional dissonance.
Or maybe this book simply wasn’t for me.
Most of us are poets, she said. It’s just a question of how it comes out."
Might be an unpopular opinion, but I do not like books that have protagonists with no redeeming qualities. I saw someone compare Rozie Kelly with Sally Rooney and I went "now it makes sense!" - I am not a fan of masochistic characters who wantonly choose to derail their lives. Of course, except in this case, I just didn't understand the central character.
In Kingfisher, a creative writing professor in a stable relationship becomes infatuated with his older colleague, “the poet”—enough to leave his partner, Michael. Michael, is someone who endures the professor’s difficult, homophobic mother and navigates the complexities of an open relationship (polyamorous) —something the protagonist can neither accept nor articulate. What follows is a kind of identity drift, where the professor shifts versions of himself depending on whether he is with his partner, his mother, his friend Jennifer, or the poet herself, who is slowly dying.
On paper, this fluidity—this polymorphism of self—should make for a compelling psychological exploration. But I found myself unable to get past the protagonist’s inner world. No amount of elegant prose could quite bridge that gap for me.
And the prose is elegant. The recurring bird imagery is striking, and there’s a lyrical quality to the writing that often elevates even the more uncomfortable moments. The novel does gather some emotional momentum toward the end—but by then, I had already stopped investing in the central character.
Maybe I missed the point. Maybe the point is the messiness—the lack of resolution, the discomfort, the emotional dissonance.
Or maybe this book simply wasn’t for me.
April 22, 2026
Shortlisted for Women's Prize for Fiction 2026 - This shortlist is full of mid books. This one stands out because it chooses a man as the protagonist.
April 16, 2026
This is really good even if I think it kinda fizzled towards the end.
“Humans will always do something horrible if you watch them for long enough.”
At the start, we see the loving relationship between our protagonist and his partner Michael, which quickly morphs into a polyamorous union. We see insecurity start to enter the relationship because Michael can easily find others sexual partners, while our protagonist can’t, or perhaps is unwilling. This begins slight jealousy and a feeling of imbalance within the relationship. One day our main character meets a female colleague “the poet” who he immediately decides he wants to “fuck.” It’s necessary to see how often he uses that word in regards to her at the beginning of the book and then how that bluntness starts to disappear as we get further into the novel once his lust turns into love. We then get fascinating insight into the fluidity of sexuality, desire, romance, and choice. There’s a push and pull with our narrator, who not only has never been in love with a woman before but is starting to find his male partner to be somewhat of an irritant. The novel does really interesting things highlighting the differences between how our protagonist treats his two sexual partners.
There are moments in the novel when our narrator makes really frustrating decisions or has exasperating inner-monologues, but as we start to get insight into his past, we begin to understand why he has self-destructive tendencies. We get an in depth look on what life was like for him growing up: the friction he had with his bigoted mother and the grief he endured for his deceased father. These two hinderings completely shape his future and reverberate throughout the entirety of the text.
The style is quite poetic despite its harsh realities. It’s a slow burn that balances tenderness and distress. I really did feel the passion he had for both love interests. These three characters are deeply flawed, occasionally doing offhanded things that can hurt the other person, though these acts are never out of malice. Most of the time it’s out of honest human self-interest. As in how can you satisfyingly fulfill your desires? As in what’s right for me? Forgetting that these needs can affect the other person.
I truly don’t think this review correctly conveys my feelings about this book. In fact, I feel like the review is all wrong and doesn’t even truly represent the essence of the story. But it’s a book that kinda stupefied me because it offered more depth than I was initially expecting. It’s a quietly haunting, beautifully-hypnotic read. A slow burn. A book mixed with the exquisite and ugliness of life. As I mentioned at the start, it did kinda lose me in the end; I feel like the last quarter moved away from the “thesis” of the story, leaning too heavily into something that was much more nuanced and balanced earlier in the book.
So, my honest opinion is that it didn’t end on a high. But overall, the novel is a sophisticated glimpse at fluidity and desire with standout characters who made sure that I felt every single ache, sorrow, shiver, and rush.
“Humans will always do something horrible if you watch them for long enough.”
At the start, we see the loving relationship between our protagonist and his partner Michael, which quickly morphs into a polyamorous union. We see insecurity start to enter the relationship because Michael can easily find others sexual partners, while our protagonist can’t, or perhaps is unwilling. This begins slight jealousy and a feeling of imbalance within the relationship. One day our main character meets a female colleague “the poet” who he immediately decides he wants to “fuck.” It’s necessary to see how often he uses that word in regards to her at the beginning of the book and then how that bluntness starts to disappear as we get further into the novel once his lust turns into love. We then get fascinating insight into the fluidity of sexuality, desire, romance, and choice. There’s a push and pull with our narrator, who not only has never been in love with a woman before but is starting to find his male partner to be somewhat of an irritant. The novel does really interesting things highlighting the differences between how our protagonist treats his two sexual partners.
There are moments in the novel when our narrator makes really frustrating decisions or has exasperating inner-monologues, but as we start to get insight into his past, we begin to understand why he has self-destructive tendencies. We get an in depth look on what life was like for him growing up: the friction he had with his bigoted mother and the grief he endured for his deceased father. These two hinderings completely shape his future and reverberate throughout the entirety of the text.
The style is quite poetic despite its harsh realities. It’s a slow burn that balances tenderness and distress. I really did feel the passion he had for both love interests. These three characters are deeply flawed, occasionally doing offhanded things that can hurt the other person, though these acts are never out of malice. Most of the time it’s out of honest human self-interest. As in how can you satisfyingly fulfill your desires? As in what’s right for me? Forgetting that these needs can affect the other person.
I truly don’t think this review correctly conveys my feelings about this book. In fact, I feel like the review is all wrong and doesn’t even truly represent the essence of the story. But it’s a book that kinda stupefied me because it offered more depth than I was initially expecting. It’s a quietly haunting, beautifully-hypnotic read. A slow burn. A book mixed with the exquisite and ugliness of life. As I mentioned at the start, it did kinda lose me in the end; I feel like the last quarter moved away from the “thesis” of the story, leaning too heavily into something that was much more nuanced and balanced earlier in the book.
So, my honest opinion is that it didn’t end on a high. But overall, the novel is a sophisticated glimpse at fluidity and desire with standout characters who made sure that I felt every single ache, sorrow, shiver, and rush.
May 16, 2026
4.5 ⭐️’s
This is the book I was most excited to read from the 2026 Women’s Prize Long list.
As I finished Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly I had that feeling I’m always chasing a little bit, the sense that a book met me somewhere real and human.
It’s a short novel, and a quick read. But it's dense.
Like everything in it had been compressed down to only what mattered, and then left slightly open so it could breathe.
The relationships aren’t clean.
The inner lives aren’t fully articulated.
Everyone is still trying to figure out who they are…isn’t that all of life?
People are acting, reacting, circling something they don’t quite have language for yet.
That familiar feeling of living inside your life before you understand it.
She trusts you to sit inside the ambiguity of the characters and storyline, which gives the whole book honesty.
It feels emotionally true in a way that more “resolved” novels sometimes don’t.
I felt what she’s really working with feels like the instability of identity inside relationship.
Who am I when I’m with you?
Who do I become in proximity to your needs, your desires, your version of me?
Where do I disappear, and where do I resist?
The push and pull between closeness and self-erasure.
Between wanting connection and needing to stay intact.
It’s embedded in how people move toward and away from each other.
And the messiness that plays out is the truth.
I loved that she lets the characters be that. That feels deeply aligned with real life.
Most of us don’t arrive at neat conclusions about who we are in relationship.
We keep noticing, adjusting, waking up, maturing in small ways.
For such a short book, she creates a full emotional experience.
There’s a rawness that gives it energy, like she resisted the urge to make it prettier than it needed to be.
I closed it feeling satisfied and stirred.
Like something in the human psyche had been named without being spelled out.
Those are the books that stay in my mind.
This is the book I was most excited to read from the 2026 Women’s Prize Long list.
As I finished Kingfisher by Rozie Kelly I had that feeling I’m always chasing a little bit, the sense that a book met me somewhere real and human.
It’s a short novel, and a quick read. But it's dense.
Like everything in it had been compressed down to only what mattered, and then left slightly open so it could breathe.
The relationships aren’t clean.
The inner lives aren’t fully articulated.
Everyone is still trying to figure out who they are…isn’t that all of life?
People are acting, reacting, circling something they don’t quite have language for yet.
That familiar feeling of living inside your life before you understand it.
She trusts you to sit inside the ambiguity of the characters and storyline, which gives the whole book honesty.
It feels emotionally true in a way that more “resolved” novels sometimes don’t.
I felt what she’s really working with feels like the instability of identity inside relationship.
Who am I when I’m with you?
Who do I become in proximity to your needs, your desires, your version of me?
Where do I disappear, and where do I resist?
The push and pull between closeness and self-erasure.
Between wanting connection and needing to stay intact.
It’s embedded in how people move toward and away from each other.
And the messiness that plays out is the truth.
I loved that she lets the characters be that. That feels deeply aligned with real life.
Most of us don’t arrive at neat conclusions about who we are in relationship.
We keep noticing, adjusting, waking up, maturing in small ways.
For such a short book, she creates a full emotional experience.
There’s a rawness that gives it energy, like she resisted the urge to make it prettier than it needed to be.
I closed it feeling satisfied and stirred.
Like something in the human psyche had been named without being spelled out.
Those are the books that stay in my mind.
April 8, 2026
Crushingly hard & beautiful too. Humans & life are messy, aren't they?
May 10, 2026
As of today, it is without a doubt my top book of the year, and I am so grateful that this recommendation came my way. I’m absolutely astounded that I had never heard of this book and that it is the author’s debut. If it doesn’t win The Women’s Prize, for which has been shortlisted, it will be an absolute crime.
I don't want to say much about this book, because it was such a wonderful experience in part because I went in thinking I was going to get a certain kind of story and a certain kind of protagonist, and then I got something completely different, and utterly breathtaking. If I had to describe what this book is truly about, I would say two things: identity and love. This is love in all forms: romantic love, infatuation, the love of children for their parents, and the love of friends who hold us up. All of the love depicted here is VERY messy, and may not seem like love to some, but in the great care and compassion shown even within the mess, it is love in it's most perfect form. It is also about a lack of love, and the damage it causes, and how all of this, the giving, receiving, and withholding of love, shapes our identities.
The side characters here are jewels. The unnamed protagonist's best friend is a wonder, and even his ex-partner's new partner, in a brief appearance, shows so much love and grace. A short book, not a scene or word is wasted or withheld. I can't more highly recommend this, even if it did leave me with a massive book hangover!
*The audio is great, but the writing was so gorgeous I recommend this print. I tried both, and only did around 15% on audio because I really needed to see the words.
I don't want to say much about this book, because it was such a wonderful experience in part because I went in thinking I was going to get a certain kind of story and a certain kind of protagonist, and then I got something completely different, and utterly breathtaking. If I had to describe what this book is truly about, I would say two things: identity and love. This is love in all forms: romantic love, infatuation, the love of children for their parents, and the love of friends who hold us up. All of the love depicted here is VERY messy, and may not seem like love to some, but in the great care and compassion shown even within the mess, it is love in it's most perfect form. It is also about a lack of love, and the damage it causes, and how all of this, the giving, receiving, and withholding of love, shapes our identities.
The side characters here are jewels. The unnamed protagonist's best friend is a wonder, and even his ex-partner's new partner, in a brief appearance, shows so much love and grace. A short book, not a scene or word is wasted or withheld. I can't more highly recommend this, even if it did leave me with a massive book hangover!
*The audio is great, but the writing was so gorgeous I recommend this print. I tried both, and only did around 15% on audio because I really needed to see the words.
March 21, 2026
A creative writing academic falls in love with a charismatic poet colleague, despite having a boyfriend. That's the simple synopsis, but this is so much more than that.
This went in a direction I wasn't expecting, but ended up being a reflective and introspective look into grief and love. How one person can enter your life at the right time, change you and leave. We never know the poets real name, she's constantly left just out of touch, a mythical kingfisher for our protagonist yet we see all facets of her through his eyes. Their relationship, and the protagonist's relationships with his boyfriend Michael and mother Hattie are complicated, multifaceted and fully formed. I was surprised to find myself laughing a number if times through this too, glimmers of humanity and moments of real life sprinkled through the harder moments. It's a great exploration of what it is to be human - messy, joyful and full of life.
This went in a direction I wasn't expecting, but ended up being a reflective and introspective look into grief and love. How one person can enter your life at the right time, change you and leave. We never know the poets real name, she's constantly left just out of touch, a mythical kingfisher for our protagonist yet we see all facets of her through his eyes. Their relationship, and the protagonist's relationships with his boyfriend Michael and mother Hattie are complicated, multifaceted and fully formed. I was surprised to find myself laughing a number if times through this too, glimmers of humanity and moments of real life sprinkled through the harder moments. It's a great exploration of what it is to be human - messy, joyful and full of life.
April 22, 2026
MOJA ULUBIONA KSIĄŻKA Z DŁUGIEJ LISTY WPF. MOJA ULUBIONA KSIĄŻKA Z KRÓTKIEJ LISTY WPF. TRZYMAM KCIUKI ZA WYGRANĄ!
WSPA-NIA-ŁA. Absolutnie zakochałam się w tej powieści, tak czułej i melancholijnej. Pięknie napisanej, z tak ogromną wrażliwością. Jestem oczarowana i wzruszona. Rozie Kelly "Kingfisher" - kolejna pozycja z tegorocznej długiej listy nominowanych do nagrody Women's Prize for Fiction.
Narratorem powieści jest około trzydziestopięcioletni wykładowca kreatywnego pisania, od lat w otwartym związku ze swoim partnerem. Wśród codziennej pracy jego uwagę zaczyna przyciągać kobieta nazywana przez niego The Poet, również akademiczka. Pojawia się cicha, niemal automatyczna potrzeba zbliżenia się do niej, nawet jeśli nie stoi za nią żaden konkretny cel. Wchodzi on zatem powoli w tę cichą, trudną do nazwania dynamikę, w której czyjaś obecność po prostu zaczyna mieć znaczenie.
To historia o spotkaniu, które przychodzi we właściwym momencie - o kimś, kto potrafi uruchomić w nas coś, czego wcześniej nie umieliśmy nazwać. To też co ważne - bardzo subtelna i wnikliwa opowieść o złożoności relacji międzyludzkich i ludzkiej potrzebie bliskości, nie tylko tej fizycznej, ale przede wszystkim duchowej, emocjonalnej, trudnej do nazwania. Bliskości i relacji, która wymyka się jakimkolwiek definicjom.
Szczególną siłą książki jest narracja: prowadzona głosem mężczyzny refleksyjnego, melancholijnego, uważnego na siebie i innych. To narrator, który nie boi się analizować emocji, nie ucieka od nich, ale świadomie się z nimi mierzy, próbuje je nazwać i zrozumieć, pozostaje otwarty i wrażliwy - i chyba właśnie dlatego tak dobrze się go słucha.
"Kingfisher" chyba wyszedł na prowadzenie w moim prywatnym rankingu WPF, a jest to longlista szalenie dobra w tym roku.
WSPA-NIA-ŁA. Absolutnie zakochałam się w tej powieści, tak czułej i melancholijnej. Pięknie napisanej, z tak ogromną wrażliwością. Jestem oczarowana i wzruszona. Rozie Kelly "Kingfisher" - kolejna pozycja z tegorocznej długiej listy nominowanych do nagrody Women's Prize for Fiction.
Narratorem powieści jest około trzydziestopięcioletni wykładowca kreatywnego pisania, od lat w otwartym związku ze swoim partnerem. Wśród codziennej pracy jego uwagę zaczyna przyciągać kobieta nazywana przez niego The Poet, również akademiczka. Pojawia się cicha, niemal automatyczna potrzeba zbliżenia się do niej, nawet jeśli nie stoi za nią żaden konkretny cel. Wchodzi on zatem powoli w tę cichą, trudną do nazwania dynamikę, w której czyjaś obecność po prostu zaczyna mieć znaczenie.
To historia o spotkaniu, które przychodzi we właściwym momencie - o kimś, kto potrafi uruchomić w nas coś, czego wcześniej nie umieliśmy nazwać. To też co ważne - bardzo subtelna i wnikliwa opowieść o złożoności relacji międzyludzkich i ludzkiej potrzebie bliskości, nie tylko tej fizycznej, ale przede wszystkim duchowej, emocjonalnej, trudnej do nazwania. Bliskości i relacji, która wymyka się jakimkolwiek definicjom.
Szczególną siłą książki jest narracja: prowadzona głosem mężczyzny refleksyjnego, melancholijnego, uważnego na siebie i innych. To narrator, który nie boi się analizować emocji, nie ucieka od nich, ale świadomie się z nimi mierzy, próbuje je nazwać i zrozumieć, pozostaje otwarty i wrażliwy - i chyba właśnie dlatego tak dobrze się go słucha.
"Kingfisher" chyba wyszedł na prowadzenie w moim prywatnym rankingu WPF, a jest to longlista szalenie dobra w tym roku.
May 7, 2026
As the story opens, the unnamed narrator is in an open relationship with his partner, Michael. He develops an unexpected attraction to a female colleague, and essayist and poet, in his creative writing department. His mother lives in a nursing home, and he visits her regularly despite his long-held resentment of her past actions. By the end, the narrator has learned something about himself. The novel follows what happens during this short time in the narrator’s life. Some of the writing is quite poetic. I enjoyed the many sea bird references. There is a fair amount of misogyny, heavy drug use, illnesses, and more sexual content than I prefer. It’s decently written but bleak, and ultimately not my type of book.
2.5
2.5
April 3, 2026
3.5
The unreliable narrator is an unnamed creative writing academic, who's in a relationship with Michael, a gym owner.
Out of nowhere he is infatuated with an older colleague, who he calls the Poet, as she's published a successful collection.
The narrator and his partner have an open relationship, not that the narrator ever partook.
But he's keeping his emotional infidelity hidden. He also never revealed his unhappy childhood caused by his mean, pill addicted mother.
People have so many facets, so many contradictions ...
Mess is everywhere; the indiscretions abound.
The unreliable narrator is an unnamed creative writing academic, who's in a relationship with Michael, a gym owner.
Out of nowhere he is infatuated with an older colleague, who he calls the Poet, as she's published a successful collection.
The narrator and his partner have an open relationship, not that the narrator ever partook.
But he's keeping his emotional infidelity hidden. He also never revealed his unhappy childhood caused by his mean, pill addicted mother.
People have so many facets, so many contradictions ...
Mess is everywhere; the indiscretions abound.
March 15, 2026
I’m reading this because it’s on the women’s prize longlist for fiction, so I was surprised to find that our protagonist is a queer man in a same-sex relationship falling in love with an older woman he can’t be bothered to name but only calls “the poet”.
I can’t tell if we’re being progressive or regressive by including this much internalized misogyny in the women’s prize longlist.
Needless to say I thought women’s fiction centered mostly around women’s stories(?) was that wrong?
The first sentence is literally : “I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realized I wanted to fuck her.”
It’s so disappointing that a woman has written a story where the main character is a man and the woman is only used as a tool for him to process his life circumstances. It felt like he was using her as a stand in for his horrible mother. (Because of course it’s always the mothers fault right?)
The mother was also an absolute caricature of a miserable old woman. And it lacked any and all nuance to make her and their relationship believable. Having a very strained relationship with my own mother, I feel that the author missed the mark here. If the mom is horrible 100% of the time on all fronts, it doesn’t explain why the son loves her so much. But the connection between them is never explored, just assumed for some reason. And it doesn’t even begin to touch the complexity of a relationship like that. That the author herself has said that her own mother is a saint might be why this isn’t believable.
All in all, I was very disappointed by this. I’m disappointed that this is supposedly the best of women’s stories by female authors - a secondary or cruel side character to a man as the main character. Does this book even pass the bechdel test?
I can’t tell if we’re being progressive or regressive by including this much internalized misogyny in the women’s prize longlist.
Needless to say I thought women’s fiction centered mostly around women’s stories(?) was that wrong?
The first sentence is literally : “I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realized I wanted to fuck her.”
It’s so disappointing that a woman has written a story where the main character is a man and the woman is only used as a tool for him to process his life circumstances. It felt like he was using her as a stand in for his horrible mother. (Because of course it’s always the mothers fault right?)
The mother was also an absolute caricature of a miserable old woman. And it lacked any and all nuance to make her and their relationship believable. Having a very strained relationship with my own mother, I feel that the author missed the mark here. If the mom is horrible 100% of the time on all fronts, it doesn’t explain why the son loves her so much. But the connection between them is never explored, just assumed for some reason. And it doesn’t even begin to touch the complexity of a relationship like that. That the author herself has said that her own mother is a saint might be why this isn’t believable.
All in all, I was very disappointed by this. I’m disappointed that this is supposedly the best of women’s stories by female authors - a secondary or cruel side character to a man as the main character. Does this book even pass the bechdel test?
April 6, 2026
Literally not once did this book go in a direction I was expecting. I do think if it had gone the way it initially seemed, I would have enjoyed this more, but nonetheless very unique, very nuanced, and very grey.
I've read interviews with the author and her message time and time again seems to be that there isn't anything in particular she wants her reader to take away from the book, but that she wants them to feel strongly about it. This is evident to me, because while reading I just kept thinking what is the fucking point of this? But I still felt strongly pulled along.
What I think I'm taking from this is that there is an inevitable impact on your life that each person you know carries, and something else i can't really put into words
Also I love the avian imagery and language, but I do think that this aspect wasn't expanded to its fullest.
I've read interviews with the author and her message time and time again seems to be that there isn't anything in particular she wants her reader to take away from the book, but that she wants them to feel strongly about it. This is evident to me, because while reading I just kept thinking what is the fucking point of this? But I still felt strongly pulled along.
What I think I'm taking from this is that there is an inevitable impact on your life that each person you know carries, and something else i can't really put into words
Also I love the avian imagery and language, but I do think that this aspect wasn't expanded to its fullest.
May 12, 2026
*Thank you to the Women’s Prize for sending me a copy of this!*
When a literary fiction novel is pretentious and messy, it can go one of two ways. Thankfully, and very surprisingly, for me I really enjoyed this. Pretentiousness in a main character is something quite difficult to tolerate, but our narrator here was so self aware that it felt balanced and fit the book perfectly. I liked how sad and self deprecating it was unironically, it meant that the naval gazing was palatable. Coupled with an extremely clever and dry sense of humour, I found myself smiling quite a lot when reading this despite it being tonally a bit depressing.
I love when books take such a simplistic plot line, and absolutely wring you dry with it emotionally. It’s such a short novel, but doesn’t really feel that way because of how much ground we cover and how languidly we float through the motions. It’s a very short burst of story very high on intensity, and the plot of this one is kind of bonkers but in the best way. It manages to take a very mundane few months and transform it into a captivating turn of events that you can’t bear to look away from. I didn’t know where it was going next at any given moment, and I really liked that about it.
The characters really brought it to life, and the concept of a gay man falling in love with a mysterious older woman he works with is a plotline I can’t say I’ve come across before. It’s very heavy on very complex dynamics and morally grey personalities who say and do things that can be hard to stomach. Extremely human and raw and all over the place, as well all are, and I appreciated that. Sometimes unusually detached in places and all things considered very harsh and melancholy to read, but tenderly and inquisitively handled. An intriguing one for sure.
A side note that is unrelated to my rating of the book but the editing was a bit off in some places here and it annoyed me. Some sections are missing page breaks so we’re flowing from one topic to the next without pause multiple times which was jarring. Chapter 49 of the book was in a whole different font set and size altogether which was bizarre. For such a short book you’d think an editor could have caught these easily.
When a literary fiction novel is pretentious and messy, it can go one of two ways. Thankfully, and very surprisingly, for me I really enjoyed this. Pretentiousness in a main character is something quite difficult to tolerate, but our narrator here was so self aware that it felt balanced and fit the book perfectly. I liked how sad and self deprecating it was unironically, it meant that the naval gazing was palatable. Coupled with an extremely clever and dry sense of humour, I found myself smiling quite a lot when reading this despite it being tonally a bit depressing.
I love when books take such a simplistic plot line, and absolutely wring you dry with it emotionally. It’s such a short novel, but doesn’t really feel that way because of how much ground we cover and how languidly we float through the motions. It’s a very short burst of story very high on intensity, and the plot of this one is kind of bonkers but in the best way. It manages to take a very mundane few months and transform it into a captivating turn of events that you can’t bear to look away from. I didn’t know where it was going next at any given moment, and I really liked that about it.
The characters really brought it to life, and the concept of a gay man falling in love with a mysterious older woman he works with is a plotline I can’t say I’ve come across before. It’s very heavy on very complex dynamics and morally grey personalities who say and do things that can be hard to stomach. Extremely human and raw and all over the place, as well all are, and I appreciated that. Sometimes unusually detached in places and all things considered very harsh and melancholy to read, but tenderly and inquisitively handled. An intriguing one for sure.
A side note that is unrelated to my rating of the book but the editing was a bit off in some places here and it annoyed me. Some sections are missing page breaks so we’re flowing from one topic to the next without pause multiple times which was jarring. Chapter 49 of the book was in a whole different font set and size altogether which was bizarre. For such a short book you’d think an editor could have caught these easily.
May 4, 2026
The three-star rating I am giving Kingfisher is not a mark of indifference, but rather a product of what I both loved and hated about this book.
From a literary perspective, this is the sort of writing and subject matter I am obsessed with. Poetic writing, intimate relationships, complicated characters that it's difficult to root for. Kingfisher has an eerie, lingering quality. A warped, modern gothic feel.
Unfortunately, the characterisation is a total miss.
Our narrator is an awful, selfish person. In itself this wouldn't always be a problem - especially if we are going for a Patricia Highsmith vibe. The trouble is that the whole premise of the novel relies on the attraction that he has for "the Poet", a woman that he seems to envy and wish to possess rather than having any genuine affection for.
He thinks of her as a Kingfisher, but we aren't really given any reason why. He is sexually attracted to her, but we are told this rather than shown how. We don't feel anything for her because she is not brought to life on the page.
A book like this needs to have strong bonds and interactions between the characters, but they feel like cardboard cutouts and are subordinate to the writing, which I admit has an intimate style that I love.
To get away with morally dubious, unlikeable characters, they need to feel real, and in Kingfisher they simply don't. They are literary devices.
I have found the same with books by Sally Rooney and Deborah Levy in the past. Characters should be believable and breathe life into the story, and in order for a book that centres on human connection (or lack thereof) rather than plot, poor characterisation stunts a book from reaching that next level for me.
Having said that, Kingfisher does have a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi and having made it as far as the Women's Prize Shortlist, I wouldn't be overly surprised if it went all the way.
From a literary perspective, this is the sort of writing and subject matter I am obsessed with. Poetic writing, intimate relationships, complicated characters that it's difficult to root for. Kingfisher has an eerie, lingering quality. A warped, modern gothic feel.
Unfortunately, the characterisation is a total miss.
Our narrator is an awful, selfish person. In itself this wouldn't always be a problem - especially if we are going for a Patricia Highsmith vibe. The trouble is that the whole premise of the novel relies on the attraction that he has for "the Poet", a woman that he seems to envy and wish to possess rather than having any genuine affection for.
He thinks of her as a Kingfisher, but we aren't really given any reason why. He is sexually attracted to her, but we are told this rather than shown how. We don't feel anything for her because she is not brought to life on the page.
A book like this needs to have strong bonds and interactions between the characters, but they feel like cardboard cutouts and are subordinate to the writing, which I admit has an intimate style that I love.
To get away with morally dubious, unlikeable characters, they need to feel real, and in Kingfisher they simply don't. They are literary devices.
I have found the same with books by Sally Rooney and Deborah Levy in the past. Characters should be believable and breathe life into the story, and in order for a book that centres on human connection (or lack thereof) rather than plot, poor characterisation stunts a book from reaching that next level for me.
Having said that, Kingfisher does have a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi and having made it as far as the Women's Prize Shortlist, I wouldn't be overly surprised if it went all the way.
March 15, 2026
4.25⭐ That was exceptional for a debut. more thoughts to come!
December 2, 2025
Stunning but devastating debut. I must admit it felt slightly unfinished… though I may just be someone who prefers not to have loose ends when I finish the last page. (Very curious about the overheard phone call and who was on the other line?) I look forward to reading more from this author someday.
August 13, 2025
The writing in this is beautiful but it reminds me so much of Normal People in the way that I just do not get most of the characters or they feel too nuanced for me.
April 22, 2026
2026 Women's Prize for fiction Shortlist 5/6
And my firm favourite
When I first saw the Longlist for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction, this was the least appealing to me. I almost dismissed it, but because there it was on the library shelf I took it home with the others that I could not wait to delve into. Even the cover, the colour, the photo looking like a 1970s secondary school textbook.
Also it's the one I have heard nothing about. Thankfully I applied due diligence and committed to reading a sample. Just a few pages and then dutifully return it.
I am scratching my head. What made me so resistant? I have never put so much energy into not wanting to read a book. Can a cover hold that much power?
Never mind, all I'll say is that this is my absolute favourite contender for the Women's Prize this year. This is less a book I read, and more an event I experienced. It flumoxxed me in the most interesting ways and yet I understood everything that the author is saying about giving and taking, relationships of unequal loving, why and how we mould ourselves around our people of interest and the multitudes we contain.
This is simply beautiful.
And my firm favourite
When I first saw the Longlist for the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction, this was the least appealing to me. I almost dismissed it, but because there it was on the library shelf I took it home with the others that I could not wait to delve into. Even the cover, the colour, the photo looking like a 1970s secondary school textbook.
Also it's the one I have heard nothing about. Thankfully I applied due diligence and committed to reading a sample. Just a few pages and then dutifully return it.
I am scratching my head. What made me so resistant? I have never put so much energy into not wanting to read a book. Can a cover hold that much power?
Never mind, all I'll say is that this is my absolute favourite contender for the Women's Prize this year. This is less a book I read, and more an event I experienced. It flumoxxed me in the most interesting ways and yet I understood everything that the author is saying about giving and taking, relationships of unequal loving, why and how we mould ourselves around our people of interest and the multitudes we contain.
This is simply beautiful.
April 1, 2026
Absolutely brilliant. My favourite so far of the Women's Prize for Fiction nominations. I've read 13/16:so far
March 24, 2026
A lyrical flight that never quite lands.
"I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realized I wanted to fuck her."
Well. That's certainly one way to set the tone - and unfortunately, there is much more where this came from.
In Kingfisher, a creative writing academic in a long-term relationship with his partner Michael becomes increasingly infatuated with an unnamed colleague he refers to only as "the poet." What follows is less a love story than a slow unraveling - of identity, of relationships, and of whatever emotional grounding he may have once had. As he drifts between his partner, his demanding mother, his friends, and the poet herself, his fixation deepens into something more consuming, if not entirely convincing.
I picked this up after seeing it on the 2026 Women's Prize longlist - and I have to admit, I'm still not entirely sure what to make of that inclusion.
Yes, the prose is undeniably beautiful. Rozie Kelly's debut is full of a strikingly lyrical style, and there are moments where the imagery - particularly the recurring bird motifs - feels deliberate and evocative. The audiobook, narrated by Dan Bottomley, complements that tone well, delivering a measured, introspective performance.
But for all its stylistic elegance, this book feels like an odd fit for that particular prize. For a novel written by a woman and celebrated in a space that ostensibly centers women's voices, the female characters here feel curiously sidelined - reduced to catalysts for a man's internal struggle rather than subjects in their own right. It's hard not to question what, exactly, this story is offering in that context. In fact, I would venture to doubt that this novel even passes the Bechdel test.
The story is told entirely from the perspective of a man - a nameless protagonist who is difficult to connect with, not because he is flawed (that's rarely a problem), but because his inner world feels frustratingly opaque. He shifts depending on who he's with - partner, mother, friend, lover - yet that fluidity never quite coalesces into something meaningful. Instead, it reads more like emotional evasiveness than complexity.
The poet, meanwhile, is also never even granted a name and feels less like a fully realized character and more like a projection. At times, it's hard not to read her as a stand-in for unresolved maternal tension, especially given the heavy-handed portrayal of the protagonist's homophobic and bitter mother, who veers dangerously close to caricature.
There's a pervasive sense of loneliness running through the novel - these are people who are adrift, often unkind to one another, and largely unable to articulate what they want or need, reminiscent of a Salley Rooney novel (in the worst possible way). On paper, that kind of emotional dislocation could make for a compelling character study. In practice, I found it distancing.
There are flashes of insight into grief, desire, and the messiness of human connection, and despite its crude sexual references, much of the prose is undeniably elegant. But for me, Kingfisher is a case where style ultimately outweighs substance. Or maybe I just went into this with the wrong expectations.
"I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realized I wanted to fuck her."
Well. That's certainly one way to set the tone - and unfortunately, there is much more where this came from.
In Kingfisher, a creative writing academic in a long-term relationship with his partner Michael becomes increasingly infatuated with an unnamed colleague he refers to only as "the poet." What follows is less a love story than a slow unraveling - of identity, of relationships, and of whatever emotional grounding he may have once had. As he drifts between his partner, his demanding mother, his friends, and the poet herself, his fixation deepens into something more consuming, if not entirely convincing.
I picked this up after seeing it on the 2026 Women's Prize longlist - and I have to admit, I'm still not entirely sure what to make of that inclusion.
Yes, the prose is undeniably beautiful. Rozie Kelly's debut is full of a strikingly lyrical style, and there are moments where the imagery - particularly the recurring bird motifs - feels deliberate and evocative. The audiobook, narrated by Dan Bottomley, complements that tone well, delivering a measured, introspective performance.
But for all its stylistic elegance, this book feels like an odd fit for that particular prize. For a novel written by a woman and celebrated in a space that ostensibly centers women's voices, the female characters here feel curiously sidelined - reduced to catalysts for a man's internal struggle rather than subjects in their own right. It's hard not to question what, exactly, this story is offering in that context. In fact, I would venture to doubt that this novel even passes the Bechdel test.
The story is told entirely from the perspective of a man - a nameless protagonist who is difficult to connect with, not because he is flawed (that's rarely a problem), but because his inner world feels frustratingly opaque. He shifts depending on who he's with - partner, mother, friend, lover - yet that fluidity never quite coalesces into something meaningful. Instead, it reads more like emotional evasiveness than complexity.
The poet, meanwhile, is also never even granted a name and feels less like a fully realized character and more like a projection. At times, it's hard not to read her as a stand-in for unresolved maternal tension, especially given the heavy-handed portrayal of the protagonist's homophobic and bitter mother, who veers dangerously close to caricature.
There's a pervasive sense of loneliness running through the novel - these are people who are adrift, often unkind to one another, and largely unable to articulate what they want or need, reminiscent of a Salley Rooney novel (in the worst possible way). On paper, that kind of emotional dislocation could make for a compelling character study. In practice, I found it distancing.
There are flashes of insight into grief, desire, and the messiness of human connection, and despite its crude sexual references, much of the prose is undeniably elegant. But for me, Kingfisher is a case where style ultimately outweighs substance. Or maybe I just went into this with the wrong expectations.
April 6, 2026
I was really looking forward to this one because the premise had me from the start: a seemingly gay man falling in love with his older female colleague? That sounded so interesting to me and like it could go in such an unexpected direction.
And that first sentence — “I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realised I wanted to fuck her.” — definitely did its job. It made me sit up and pay attention right away. I was like okay, this is bold, this is going to be something.
But sadly, once I got maybe 10 chapters in, it started to go downhill for me. The main character just became more and more unlikeable, and not in a way that made him interesting to read. He had basically no backbone and the way he was with the poet just made him feel like a puppy following her around. After a while, that dynamic got a bit frustrating.
I also started to lose interest in the characters and in where the story was going. The further I got, the less invested I felt, which was disappointing because the setup had really pulled me in at the start.
If I’m being honest, what kept me reading until the end was mostly the fact that this was on the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 longlist. Otherwise, I probably would have put it down.
Such a strong premise and such a great opening line, but for me the story just didn’t live up to either.
And that first sentence — “I can pinpoint, almost to the second, when I realised I wanted to fuck her.” — definitely did its job. It made me sit up and pay attention right away. I was like okay, this is bold, this is going to be something.
But sadly, once I got maybe 10 chapters in, it started to go downhill for me. The main character just became more and more unlikeable, and not in a way that made him interesting to read. He had basically no backbone and the way he was with the poet just made him feel like a puppy following her around. After a while, that dynamic got a bit frustrating.
I also started to lose interest in the characters and in where the story was going. The further I got, the less invested I felt, which was disappointing because the setup had really pulled me in at the start.
If I’m being honest, what kept me reading until the end was mostly the fact that this was on the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 longlist. Otherwise, I probably would have put it down.
Such a strong premise and such a great opening line, but for me the story just didn’t live up to either.
April 16, 2025
Just finished this book, and it's left me staring out my bedroom window, not wanting lunch.
It's poetry. It's descriptive. It's beautiful. It made me laugh a good few times. The author relates everything to smell which I'm obsessed with, some I don't get , some feel like how did she get that moment related to smell so perfectly.
The start frustrated me not knowing anyone's names but I grew to love it and knew them so well as characters that didn't end up needing to know.
It made me think, love the writing, and wish I could have made the chat she did in Ripon.
Obsessed and feel like I will definitely read it again in life which I don't feel often.
It's poetry. It's descriptive. It's beautiful. It made me laugh a good few times. The author relates everything to smell which I'm obsessed with, some I don't get , some feel like how did she get that moment related to smell so perfectly.
The start frustrated me not knowing anyone's names but I grew to love it and knew them so well as characters that didn't end up needing to know.
It made me think, love the writing, and wish I could have made the chat she did in Ripon.
Obsessed and feel like I will definitely read it again in life which I don't feel often.
August 28, 2025
This was fantastic and really different to what I expected. Tried it out as the author is local to me.
The audiobook is beautifully read. So many interesting, different characters and so real - the details of food you can manage when on chemo or Hettie’s strong tea.
Loved getting into the main character’s head, his relationships with his parents, Michael, The Poet and Jessica - I loved The Poet and Jessica.
(If anyone reading this knows - I really want to know what the penguin classics book with joy on the cover was - maybe it was referenced earlier but with an audiobook it’s hard to find).
The audiobook is beautifully read. So many interesting, different characters and so real - the details of food you can manage when on chemo or Hettie’s strong tea.
Loved getting into the main character’s head, his relationships with his parents, Michael, The Poet and Jessica - I loved The Poet and Jessica.
(If anyone reading this knows - I really want to know what the penguin classics book with joy on the cover was - maybe it was referenced earlier but with an audiobook it’s hard to find).
March 16, 2026
This is why I read the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist. I’d never have picked this book up alone and yet I really enjoyed it. Very different prose and story to my usual, more literal, choices. Interesting to read a woman writing a MMC. Love, illness, family dynamics, queerness, friendship. A lot going on and it didn’t always entirely connect for me, I am not sure I’m clever enough to join the dots in such a poetic book (!) but very much enjoyed it and will remember it I think.
April 1, 2026
This book is justification why I don’t rush into a DNF.
I started off liking the book, I was pulled in straight away. Then I found myself really disliking it. I was disconnected, unengaged, grappling with characters I didn’t like or care about. And then, suddenly, somehow, I was gripped. Absorbed. Trapped in the mess of it.
The formatting isn’t for everyone - not just a lack of speech marks but at times not even a line break when the person speaking changed. If you can get past that, then the book is very worth your time.
There were parts I truly loved, especially the lyrical poetry of the prose. It captured much of the messy grief of death and waiting for someone you love to die.
It is art. It is quietly still humming away in my mind.
I started off liking the book, I was pulled in straight away. Then I found myself really disliking it. I was disconnected, unengaged, grappling with characters I didn’t like or care about. And then, suddenly, somehow, I was gripped. Absorbed. Trapped in the mess of it.
The formatting isn’t for everyone - not just a lack of speech marks but at times not even a line break when the person speaking changed. If you can get past that, then the book is very worth your time.
There were parts I truly loved, especially the lyrical poetry of the prose. It captured much of the messy grief of death and waiting for someone you love to die.
It is art. It is quietly still humming away in my mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2026
„the poet was underneath my skin like a parasite, nibbling away at my understanding of myself.“
das fand ich so schön :( und so traurig. Ich liebe diese Art zu schreiben, hab das Gefühl diesen Schreibstil lese ich oft in britisch/irischen Büchern- wo die Sätze sehr nüchtern klingen und Sachen oft wie mit einem Schulterzucken geschrieben sind, einen aber irgendwie genau da treffen wo sie es sollen & dann immer wieder durch kleine sehr poetische Zeilen überraschen. Man verfolgt den Hauptcharakter wie es sich selbst verliert, findet, neu kennenlernt und ganz viel trauert. Das Buch ist voll komplexer und schwieriger Trauer und Liebe in simpler poetischer Sprache. Die Plotline, dass der Hauptcharakter während dem Erzählen ein Buch schreibt & es dann gegen Ende klar wird, dass man genau dieses Buch gerade liest finde ich mittlerweile ein bisschen übersättigt & manchmal stoß ich mich auch an der Unverblümtkeit, über die hier über Sex geschrieben wird. Aber overall war das ein gutes Buch, um mich wieder dazu zu motivieren mehr zu lesen/hören.
das fand ich so schön :( und so traurig. Ich liebe diese Art zu schreiben, hab das Gefühl diesen Schreibstil lese ich oft in britisch/irischen Büchern- wo die Sätze sehr nüchtern klingen und Sachen oft wie mit einem Schulterzucken geschrieben sind, einen aber irgendwie genau da treffen wo sie es sollen & dann immer wieder durch kleine sehr poetische Zeilen überraschen. Man verfolgt den Hauptcharakter wie es sich selbst verliert, findet, neu kennenlernt und ganz viel trauert. Das Buch ist voll komplexer und schwieriger Trauer und Liebe in simpler poetischer Sprache. Die Plotline, dass der Hauptcharakter während dem Erzählen ein Buch schreibt & es dann gegen Ende klar wird, dass man genau dieses Buch gerade liest finde ich mittlerweile ein bisschen übersättigt & manchmal stoß ich mich auch an der Unverblümtkeit, über die hier über Sex geschrieben wird. Aber overall war das ein gutes Buch, um mich wieder dazu zu motivieren mehr zu lesen/hören.
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