12 June 2025, Melrose, Scotland
In the annual June ceremony at the Borders Book Festival, in Melrose, Scotland, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction was announced this Thursday. This most prestigious and lucrative literary award in the UK, dedicated to celebrating excellence in historical fiction, was founded in 2009. It honours the legacy of Sir Walter Scott, often considered the originator of the historical novel with his 1814 work Waverley. The £25,000 prize aims to reward writing of exceptional quality that is set in the past, ensuring the vitality of the historical fiction genre.
Among the list of books shortlisted this year for this prize were The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Canongate), The Mare by Angharad Hampshire (Northodox Press), The Book of Days by Francesca Kay (Swift Press), Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon (Fig Tree), The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller (Sceptre), and The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Viking). These shortlisted novels showcase a wide range of historical settings and themes, from ancient Sicily to Tudor England, post-WWII Netherlands, and the harsh British winter of 1962/63.
The winner for 2025 was awarded to Andrew Miller for his novel The Land in Winter, in yesterday’s ceremony by Matthew Maxwell Scott, a direct descendant of Sir Walter Scott.
This winning novel is set in a remote English community during the exceptionally severe winter of 1962-63. The judges praised Miller as a “true master craftsman” who “painted big themes on a subtle canvas of tiny detail” with prose “as softly dazzling as the snow.” Andrew Miller was shortlisted for the prize twice before, making this a “third time lucky” win for him.
Words by C. Sharmishtha
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