Acclaimed Stroud author Alice Jolly has been awarded the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for her novel The Matchbox Girl, a powerful and innovative work that explores the life of a mute autistic child during one of Europe’s darkest periods.
The novel tells the story of Adelheid Brunner, a patient of Dr Hans Asperger at Vienna’s Children’s Hospital during the 1930s and the years of Nazi occupation. Through its unique narrative approach, The Matchbox Girl examines themes of disability, humanity and survival against the backdrop of a regime responsible for the persecution of society’s most vulnerable people.
Jolly received the award from Matthew Maxwell Scott, the great-great-great-great grandson of Sir Walter Scott, during a ceremony held at the Borders Book Festival near Melrose, Scotland.
Now in its 17th year, the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction is one of the most respected literary awards in the United Kingdom. Previous winners include Sebastian Barry, Robert Harris, Andrea Levy and Hilary Mantel.
Speaking after receiving the award, Jolly described the honour as “a dream come true”.
“It feels overwhelming and incredibly exciting – I feel as though I have waited all my life for something like this to happen to me,” she said.
“I think it is really going to transform my writing life. I am feeling incredibly positive about the future and the prize has given me that whole new sense of purpose.”
The judging panel praised the novel’s “originality, innovation, ambition” and described it as a work that “confronts a topic of immense complexity in a gripping tour de force.”
In their citation, the judges said: “The Matchbox Girl may be the most unusual book you read this year. For its honesty, power and storytelling dexterity, our 2026 winner will also be one of the most important.”
Jolly was part of the first all-British shortlist in the history of the prize, further highlighting the strength of contemporary historical fiction writing in the UK.
The award marks a significant milestone in Jolly’s literary career and brings national recognition to one of Gloucestershire’s most accomplished authors.
