Lara Haworth

Lara Haworth
Born
Lara Claire Haworth

1983 (age 42–43)
Brussels, Belgium
Education
PartnerAnnie Frost Nicholson
Websitewww.larahaworth.com

Lara Claire Haworth (born 1983) is an English writer and artist. Her debut novel Monumenta, commended for the Bridport Prize as a short story, was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize and a Nero Book Award.

Early life

Haworth was born in Brussels and grew up in South London. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and Drama from Goldsmiths, University of London in 2006. She completed a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of British Columbia in 2010. Later in 2018, Haworth enrolled in the Novel Studio at City, University of London.

Career

Haworth began her career as an artist. Haworth's poem "The Thames Barrier" was commended for the Norfolk Prize at the 2021 Café Writers Poetry Competition. Her extract-turned-short story "Monumenta" was highly commended in the Short Story category at the 2022 Bridport Prize.

In 2023, Canongate Books acquired the rights to publish Haworth's debut novel Monumenta in 2024. The novel deals with historical memory in contemporary Serbia, following widow Olga as her Dedinje house is repurposed for a massacre memorial, her adult daughter Hilde and son Danilo, and three architects. The setting was inspired by Haworth's Serbian friend, whose grandmother's house was sold in 2019, reminding Haworth of her own grandparents' house. Monumenta was shortlisted for a 2024 Nero Book Award in the Debut Fiction category and the Society of Authors' 2025 McKitterick Prize.

Personal life

Haworth lives in Nunhead, South London with her partner, the artist Annie Frost Nicholson.

Bibliography

Novels

  • Monumenta (2024)

Shorts and essays

  • "The Public Time of Private Space in Dior by Dior" with Ilya Parkins in Biography (2012)
  • "Decolonial Imaginaries" in Theorizing Visual Studies (2012), edited by James Elkins
  • "Garden" in Eco Art Incubator (2019)
  • The World from my Window (2020)
    • "Patrick and Ushi's Loft"
    • "Old London"
  • "Notes from a Supermarket" in Feels (2021)
  • "Mistakes are Pure Colour" in Extra Extra (2022)
  • "Monumenta" (2022)

Select poetry

  • "Long Way" in Visual Verse: An Anthology of Art and Words (2016)
  • "Vulcan" in Visual Verse: An Anthology of Art and Words (2018)
  • "Haida Gwaii, 2086" in NōD (2018)
  • "Androlikou, Akamas" in Eco Art Incubator (2019)
  • "Driving Theory" in Visual Verse: An Anthology of Art and Words (2020)
  • Collaboration with Fandangoe Kid
    • "Reclaim Your Heart" (2021)
    • "Love as an Act of Resistance" (2021)
    • "Protect Your Energy" (2021)
    • "Baggage is Only Experience" (2021)
  • "Little Green" (2021)
  • "The Thames Barrier" (2021)

Accolades

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2021 Café Writers Poetry Competition Norfolk Prize "The Thames Barrier" Commended
2022 Bridport Prize Short Story "Monumenta" Commended
2024 Nero Book Awards Debut Fiction Monumenta Shortlisted
2025 McKitterick Prize Shortlisted

References

  1. 1 2 Popescu, Lucy (30 June 2024). "Monumenta by Lara Haworth review – Serbian house of horrors". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Bedford, Joe (18 August 2025). "INTERVIEW: Lara Haworth on memorials, multiple perspectives and 'Monumenta'". Writers on Research. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Short Story Writing Short Course". City St George's, University of London. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  4. ↑ "Alumni Profile: Lara Haworth". University of British Columbia. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Interview with Lara Haworth, author of debut novel Monumenta". City St George's Short Courses. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  6. 1 2 "2021 Winners". Café Writers. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. 1 2 "2022". Bridport Prize. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Spanoudi, Melina (17 April 2023). "Canongate scoops Haworth's debut novel about 'memory, politics, remembrance'". The Bookseller. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Monumenta by Lara Haworth - read an extract". RTÉ. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  10. ↑ Feay, Suzi (22 July 2024). "The best new debut novels — from a super-luxe, high-altitude mystery to vivid lives in London". Financial Times. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  11. ↑ Connelly, Charlie. "Plinths of darkness: Three architects pitch monuments to massacres in Lara Haworth's debut novel about who gets to write history". The New European. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Lara Haworth - Monumenta". Nero Book Awards. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  13. 1 2 Snow, Maia (21 May 2025). "Matt Haig and David Nicholls shortlisted for Society of Authors' Awards 2025". The Bookseller. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  14. ↑ Burroughs, Katrina (10 January 2025). "'This home is what I needed after losing my family'". The Times. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  15. ↑ "Curated by… Annie Frost Nicholson & Lara Haworth". The Standard. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.