Chair of the judges, Martha Lane Fox, said: "Ahead of the longlist meeting I was anxious that the negotiations between judges might be as arduous as Brexit, but it was an absolute delight to pick our final 16 books. Entries for the Prize's 25th year have been spectacular and we revelled in the variety, depth, humanity and joy of the writing – we hope everyone else will too."
Joining Martha on the 2020 judging panel are writer and activist Scarlett Curtis, writer and activist, Melanie Eusebe, co-founder of the Black British Business Awards, author and comedian Viv Groskop and Paula Hawkins, international bestselling author.