Gwendoline Riley (born 1979) is a British novelist. Born in London, she studied English literature at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her debut novel, "Cold Water," published in 2002, received a Betty Trask Award, and she has since developed a body of fiction distinguished by sharply observed dialogue, dry humor, and close examinations of the tensions within marriages, families, and friendships. "First Love" won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and was shortlisted for several major literary awards, including the Women’s Prize for Fiction. In 2026, Riley received a Windham-Campbell Prize in recognition of her body of work. Her seventh novel, "The Palm House," was longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize. Centered on the longstanding friendship between Laura and Putnam, the novel follows the subtle changes in their relationship as bereavement, work, and family pressures alter the routines and conversations that have sustained their friendship for years.
