Judges are announced for the Orange Prize for Fiction/ Orange Award for New Writers 2010.
The judges for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2010 have been confirmed as:
- Daisy Goodwin (Chair), Author and TV Producer
- Baroness Neuberger DBE, Rabbi, Author and Broadcaster
- Michèle Roberts, Novelist and Critic
- Miranda Sawyer, Journalist and Broadcaster
- Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue
Daisy Goodwin, commented: 'I’m very honoured to be chairing a female judging panel. Too often the term women's fiction is used pejoratively as if there was something wrong with the books that women write and read. As I am addicted to reading I am really looking forward to the next six months and finding some great new books that will appeal to everybody.'
Stuart Jackson, Director of Corporate Communications at Orange, commented: 'We have a superb line up of judges for our 15th, in a year which has also been notably strong for fiction by women. We look forward to an exciting anniversary year.'
The judges for the Orange Award for New Writers in 2010 have been confirmed as:
- Di Speirs (Chair), Editor - Readings, BBC Radio 4
- Rachel Cooke, Writer and Columnist at The Observer
- Bernadine Evaristo, Novelist, critic and winner of the 2009 Orange Prize Youth Panel award for Blonde Roots
Di Speirs commented: 'Discovering, supporting and celebrating debut work by women has always been important to me, so I am really delighted to be chairing this year's Orange Award for New Writers, a prize which offers an unrivalled opportunity to reward and salute the talented new writers that we'll be reading in years to come.'
Commenting on the Orange Award for New Writers, Stuart Jackson, Director of Corporate Communications at Orange, said: 'Orange is committed to encouraging new talent in all our arts sponsorships and we are very pleased to welcome such an outstanding panel of judges for this important prize.'
Moira Sinclair, Executive Director of Arts Council England, London said: 'Our successful partnership with Orange now enters its sixth year and provides a great example of how the public and private sector can work together to support emerging literary talent and bring it to wider audiences. The Orange Award for New Writers celebrates exceptional and original work, and we look forward to the announcement of the shortlist in April 2010.'
About the prizes
Now in its fifteenth year, the Orange Prize for Fiction is the UK’s most prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman, celebrating excellence, innovation and accessibility and the best of outstanding international fiction in women’s writing. The Orange Prize for Fiction was set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible and is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible.
The winner will receive a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze figurine known as a ‘Bessie’, created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed.
Launched in 2005 in partnership with Arts Council England, the Orange Award for New Writers celebrates potential and emerging female literary talent throughout the world. All first works of fiction - including novels, short story collections and novellas, written by women of any age or nationality and published as a book in the UK between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 - are eligible. The emphasis of the award is on emerging talent and the evidence of future potential.
Books published between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010 are eligible, and the closing date for entries was 27 November 2009.
Click here to download the entry form and rules for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010
Click here to download the entry form and rules for the Orange Award for New Writers 2010
To find out more, visit the Orange Prize website
If you have any queries regarding the prize, please contact Corinne Gotch on corinne.gotch@booktrust.org.uk or 020 8516 2960. Please send all books to Booktrust, Book House, 45 East Hill, London SW18 2QZ.
Booktrust has administered the Orange Prize for Fiction since it was first awarded in 1996, and the Orange Award for New Writers since its inception in 2005.
The winner of the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction was Marilynne Robinson for Home (Virago).
The winner of the 2009 Orange Award for New Writers was Francesca Kay for An Equal Stillness (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
