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Anne Fleming’s sparkling “Curiosities” just secured a prestigious spot on the 2025 Carol Shields Prize longlist. The genre-bending novel weaves five seventeenth-century manuscripts into an unforgettable tale of forbidden love and witchcraft. This recognition marks another victory for the Victoria-based author who continues to captivate readers worldwide.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Book Title: Curiosities, published April 2024 by Knopf Canada
- Prize Details: $150,000 USD grand prize for one of fifteen longlisted finalists
- Author Background: Anne Fleming born April 25, 1964 in Toronto, teaches at UBC Okanagan
- Previous Achievement: Finalist for 2024 Giller Prize, shortlisted for Governor General’s Award
What Makes Curiosities a Genre-Bending Masterpiece
Curiosities opens with amateur historian Anne, a fictional character who loves researching England’s shadowy 1600s. She discovers obscure manuscripts hinting at elaborate secret lives and hidden loves across centuries. The novel brilliantly stands at the intersection of historical fiction, contemporary storytelling, and literary mystery, making it impossible to categorize in traditional genres.
Five distinct manuscripts thread together, each revealing new facets of the same extraordinary tale. The structure is innovative, allowing readers to experience multiple perspectives across different time periods. Each manuscript becomes a narrative layer, building toward revelations about truth, identity, and the power of stories.
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The Tale of Love, Plague, and Forbidden Identities
Joan and Thomasina are childhood survivors when the Plague devastates their village. They grow close with Old Nut, a forest-dwelling woman accused of witchcraft. Years unfold dramatically: Joan becomes a maid to the educated and wealthy Lady Margaret Long. Meanwhile, Thomasina, renamed Tom, journeys to Virginia disguised as a male, navigating colonial dangers with courage and uncertainty.
When Tom and Joan reunite as lovers, they’re discovered by a horrified clergyman. He concludes Joan must be a witch, threatening her with trial and execution. The manuscript’s central mystery becomes uncovering their shared fate. Historical records fade into silence, leaving readers to ponder whether their love story survived or perished in the past.
The Author’s Journey to Prize Recognition
| Achievement | Details |
| Birth | April 25, 1964, Toronto, Ontario |
| Education | University of Waterloo (Geography then English); UBC MFA |
| Current Position | Faculty, UBC Okanagan in Kelowna, British Columbia |
| Publishing Since | 1998 (Pool-Hopping and Other Stories) |
Anne Fleming grew up idolizing the self-sufficient lesbians running her summer camp at the YWCA in Southern Ontario. That early influence shaped her storytelling focus on unconventional lives, resilience, and authentic human connection. Her novel “The Goat” was optioned for film and named one of The Wall Street Journal’s Top Ten Children’s Books.
Why Curiosities Earns Literary Recognition
The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction celebrates women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada. By honoring Curiosities, the jury acknowledged the novel’s originality, emotional depth, and formal innovation. Diana Abu-Jaber, jury chair, praised finalists for showing the path forward out of suppression into humanity and liberation.
“This sparkling, genre-bending novel opens with amateur historian Anne, who has a passion for research into the murkier corners of England in the 1600s. In an archive, Anne has stumbled across an obscure memoir, one that hints at an intricate tapestry of secret lives and loves.”
— Carol Shields Prize Selection Panel, official longlist citation
What’s Next on the Prize Calendar
The shortlist of five finalist books will be announced April 3, 2025, narrowing competition from the initial fifteen longlisted titles. The grand prize winner receives $150,000 USD plus a five-night stay at Fogo Island Inn. Four shortlisted finalists each receive $12,500 USD in recognition prizes.
For Anne Fleming, inclusion on this prestigious longlist represents validation from leading literary voices and expanded readership opportunities. Curiosities now stands alongside other groundbreaking fiction, competing for consideration from award jurors who champion women’s voices and innovative storytelling. Will the Victoria author advance to the shortlist next month?
