Names of a Hare recognised as exceptional research-based literature
Bernice Barry received an extra special birthday gift this year when she learned her novel The Names of a Hare was longlisted for the 2026 Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award.
Now in its 25th year, this national literary prize has become an established and respected part of the literary landscape, with books scrutinised for literary merit, quality research, readability and value to the community.
Bernice said she felt very lucky and privileged, and sent her warm congratulations to the other longlisters. She said, ‘That my first ever longlisting should be for “the Nib” is thrilling for me. Research is always my starting point, whether I’m writing a biography or a novel. It’s what drives me through the whole writing process. So to be acknowledged in this way, by a literary award that recognises the place of good research across both fiction and non-fiction, is a wonderful reward for all those long journeys down rabbit holes!’
Set in Cornwall in 1628, Barry’s novel asks us to consider what might happen to a neurodiverse healer at a time when women were routinely persecuted as witches. The author’s extensive research included recipe and household books, books on the deliberate suppression of ancient languages in Ireland and Cornwall as well as vocabularies of regional dialects, ancient herbals, and botanical books from the 16th to 19th centuries. It paints a terrifying picture of Matthew Hopkins, Britain’s real-life witch hunter, while riffing on the classic RD Blackmore novel Lorna Doone.
Publisher Georgia Richter said, ‘There is definite magic in a story well told: Names of a Hare has such resonance and authenticity precisely because of the author’s passionate interest in herbs and history, landscape and literature. A perusal of the sources she consulted in the course of her writing (including John Gerard’s 1597 book, The Herball, or, Generall Historie of Plantes) helps to show why there is such depth within this unforgettable tale.’
The shortlist will be announced on 8 September with finalists eligible for the Nib Peoples Choice Prize ($4,000) and Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award ($40,000).
