Encore: The Phenomenon of the Second Novel

The pleasures and pitfalls of writing and reading fictional follow-ups

Some novelists hit a remarkable seam on their second outings, and among the second novels that have earned their place in history are The Mill on the Floss, Pride and Prejudice, The Master and Margarita, Fahrenheit 451 and Midnight’s Children.

The £10,000 Encore Award for the best second novel of the year was first awarded in 1990 and is sponsored by Lucy Astor. The award fills a niche in the catalogue of literary prizes by celebrating the achievement of outstanding second novels. Past recipients include RSL Fellows Colm Toíbín, Anne Enright, Ali Smith and most recently in 2015, Sunjeev Sahota for his book The Year of the Runaways which was also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

In a conversation chaired by literary journalist Alex Clark, one of this year’s judges, Nikita Lalwani and past winners Iain Sinclair and Evie Wyld speak about the pleasures and pitfalls of writing and reading fictional follow-ups.

The shortlist for the 2017 RSL Encore Award will be announced at this event.

In partnership with The Royal Society of Literature