Why didn’t Akhil Sharma’s ‘Family Life’ win everything?

So many brilliant women writers to explore, so little time

Haunting fly-on-the-wall accounts of war and its effects

Transported by Ali Smith and bowled over by ‘Cold Blood’

138 profound pages of horror and humanity

Rachel Joyce finds deep beauty in the midst of ordinary life

Passion, savagery, tenderness and faultless technique

From Jenny Offill to Roxane Gay, women bring a breath of fresh air