Editing English novel (section)

==Contemporary novelists==
[[Martin Amis]] (1949 to 2023) was one of the most prominent of contemporary British novelists. His best-known novels are ''[[Money (novel)|Money]]'' (1984) and ''[[London Fields (novel)|London Fields]]'' (1989). [[Pat Barker]] (born 1943) has won many awards for her fiction. 

Novelist and screenwriter [[Ian McEwan]] (born 1948) is another of contemporary Britain's most highly regarded writers. His works include ''[[The Cement Garden]]'' (1978) and ''[[Enduring Love]]'' (1997), which was made into a film. In 1998 McEwan won the [[Booker Prize]] with ''[[Amsterdam (novel)|Amsterdam]]'', while ''[[Atonement (novel)|Atonement]]'' (2001) was made into an [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning film. McEwan was awarded the [[Jerusalem Prize]] in 2011. [[Jeanette Winterson]]’s (born 1959) novels explore themes of sexuality and religion, such as ''[[Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit]]'' (1985) and ''[[Sexing the Cherry]]'' (1989).

[[Zadie Smith]]'s (born 1975) [[Costa Book Awards|Whitbread Book Award]] winning novel ''[[White Teeth]]'' (2000), mixes pathos and humour, focusing on the later lives of two war time friends in London. [[Julian Barnes]] (born 1946) is another successful living novelist, who won the 2011  Man Booker Prize for his book ''[[The Sense of an Ending]]'', while three of his earlier books had been shortlisted for the Booker Prize.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

[[Monica Ali]] came to prominence in 2003 with the acclaimed novel ''[[Monica Ali#Brick Lane|Brick Lane]]''. A chronicler of everyday life in multicultural Britain, Ali was hailed by critics and awarded several awards for the novel including being shortlisted for the [[Man Booker Prize for Fiction]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/monica-ali |title=Monica Ali |publisher=British Council }}</ref>

One of the more ambitious novelists to emerge in contemporary English literature is [[David Mitchell (author)|David Mitchell]] whose far-reaching novel ''[[Cloud Atlas (novel)|Cloud Atlas]]'' (2004) spans from the 19th century into the future.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20150119-the-21st-centurys-12-best-novels |title=The 21st Century's 12 greatest novels |publisher=BBC Culture |date=19 January 2015 }}</ref>

In the early 21st century an outstanding concern with [[historical fiction]] has been noted.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-21st-century English literature - The 21st century] Encyclopedia Britannica</ref> [[Hilary Mantel]] (1952-2022) had success with the critically acclaimed historical novel ''[[Wolf Hall]]'' (2009).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-books-21st-century-so-far.html |title=A Premature Attempt at a 21st Century Canon |publisher=vulture.com |date=17 September 2018 }}</ref>