The 2017 Not the Booker shortlist is now complete, with our three judges choosing Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout as the wildcard entry.

Tracey Hope, Dana LeMarr and Sara Richards, the judges from the final round of last year’s competition, have spent the past few weeks reading and discussing the novels on our very long list and emailed me on Friday to let me know their decision.

Sara explained that the book, “lets some light into darkness and admits the possibility of hope. Elizabeth Strout is an extraordinary writer and in this novel she explores the secrets and half-truths that families tell themselves in order to function, and what happens when those deceits disappear.”

Dana said: “This book touches and leaves bare the human heart in each of us. We see darkness and light, fear and hope, tragedy and joy, kindness and love, and above all else the underlying sameness of our humanity which connects us all ... I’m a better person for having read this book. A book that can do that sort of alchemy deserves to be on the Not the Booker shortlist.”

Tracey, meanwhile, told me that she didn’t want to say much about the book “because I don’t want to reveal too much,” but also that it “deserves to be on the shortlist. It offers hope in these strange, dark times.”

At this stage, I’m pleased to say that I know very little about this novel – and so can’t comment on this need for circumspection. I’m looking forward to unravelling the mystery. But I can tell you that when Elizabeth Day reviewed it here on The Guardian she was very clear that it is a “novel told in a series of interconnected stories” (so it just qualifies for the prize) and that it is “wise” and “stunning”. I’m looking forward to learning more.

Mind you, I’m going to have to wait for a few weeks: Strout comes sixth on our alphabetically arranged shortlist, so I’ll be reading it some time in late September. For reference, the complete list of books going forward into the next round of the Not the Booker prize now looks like this:

Not Thomas by Sara Gethin (Honno Press)
Dark Chapter by Winnie M Li (Legend Press)
The Ludlow Ladies’ Society by Ann O’Loughlin (Black and White Publishing)
The Threat Level Remains Severe by Rowena Macdonald (Aardvark Bureau)
Man With a Seagull on His Head by Harriet Paige (Bluemoose Books)
Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout (Viking)

I’ll be reporting in on Not Thomas early next week – and reading approximately one book a week. I hope you’ll join me. Not least because, we are once again on the hunt for judges. If you’re intrigued, pleased or indeed outraged by the choice of Elizabeth Strout’s novel, this is your chance to influence next year’s competition. More immediately, you will also play a vital role in helping us get a good outcome this year.

The judging process is one of the most important – and enjoyable – aspects of Not the Booker. Our panels always form an interesting counterweight to the public vote, help ensure we have lively discussions throughout the shortlist discussions that aren’t dominated by my own thoughts. Our judges have often overruled me in the past – and the competition has been much better as a result.

We’ve had some fine judges over the past four years who have added real insight and wisdom to the process of choosing a winner. You can see for yourself how good their contributions have been by clicking through to these videos from 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

All you need to do if you do want to become a judge is follow the relevant section from our hope-fixing Terms and Conditions:

Three readers will be selected by the Guardian to form a panel of judges from those readers who have made substantial contributions to the discussion of the shortlisted books. The process by which these readers are chosen is left studiously vague and is at the Guardian’s discretion. These judges undertake to read at least three of the six-book shortlist before the final judging meeting.

So please join in with reading the shortlist, by commenting and reviewing as much as you can – and if you enjoy the process, please throw your name into the ring when I ask for volunteers in October.

October! It feels so far away now. But it will be on us sooner than you think. It’s time to get reading.