Arabic version: كلير لينش تفوز بجائزة نيرو للكتاب عن روايتها الأولى

Debut novelist Claire Lynch has won the gold prize at the Nero Book Awards for her novel, A Family Matter, which was inspired by the true stories of lesbian women who lost custody of their children in the 1980s. According to BBC News, the book has garnered praise for its “wry humour” and “deft storytelling.”

Lynch received the Nero Book Awards’ debut fiction accolade last month, and has now also received the overall prize for the best book of 2025. Nick Hornby, chair of the judges, described A Family Matter as “both readable and intelligent” and noted that it would be a book that readers contemplate for years to come. The judges, which included BBC journalist Reeta Chakrabarti and novelist Daisy Goodwin, expressed their admiration for the characters and the emotional depth of the story.

A Family Matter alternates between the present day and 1982, exploring the disappearance of a mother from her family’s life. Lynch was motivated to write the book after learning that up to 90% of lesbian women married to men in the 1980s lost custody of their children during divorce proceedings. She highlighted the societal pressures that led to such separations, stating that families often felt compelled to erase the presence of the mother to avoid shame.

The author conducted thorough research, utilizing court transcripts and newspaper articles to inform her narrative. Lynch remarked that the realities depicted in court cases were often more harrowing than fiction could convey.

This year marks a significant achievement for Lynch, as A Family Matter is the first debut novel to win the overall prize at the Nero Book Awards or its predecessors, the Costa Book Awards, since 2013. In recognition of her accomplishment, Lynch will receive a £30,000 prize, while other category winners will each receive £5,000.