They’re all in the first person, all in the present tense, all of a type". The Bookseller commented on the shortlist submissions for 2022, noting that there was a wider variety of authors and that they were more ambitious, which they felt resulted in "freshly told stories which reflect the writers’ understanding of the needs of today’s readers and the certainty of authors and publishers that those readers want to read outside their own experiences."
The Bookseller observed that all the selected entries are written in first person, present tense, and share a common characteristic". The comment on the shortlist submissions for 2022 highlighted that there was a greater variety of authors and that they were more daring, which they believed led to "original stories that accurately capture the writers' understanding of today's readers' needs and the confidence of authors and publishers that those readers are eager to read beyond their own experiences."