Orange Prize for Fiction announces 2010 shortlist Tweet

The Orange Prize for Fiction, the UK’s only annual book award for fiction written by a woman, today announces the 2010 shortlist. Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year, the Prize celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world.

Shortlist Rosie Alison The Very Thought of you Alma Books British 1st Novel
Barbara Kingsolver The Lacuna Faber & Faber American 6th Novel
Attica Locke Black Water Rising Serpent's Tail American 1st Novel
Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall Fourth Estate British 10th Novel
Lorrie Moore A Gate at the Stairs Faber & Faber American 3rd Novel
Monique Roffey The White Woman on the Green Bicycle Simon& Schuster British/Trinidadian 2nd Novel
The judges for the 2010 Orange Prize for Fiction are:

* 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

This year’s shortlist honours both new and well-established writers. Two authors have previously been shortlisted; Hilary Mantel (2006) and Barbara Kingsolver (1999).

“This shortlist achieves the near impossible of combining literary merit with sheer readability,” commented Daisy Goodwin, Chair of judges. “With a thriller, historical novels that reflect our world back to us, as well as a tragicomedy about post 9/11 America - there is something here to challenge, amuse and enthrall every kind of reader.”

The Prize was set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote 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. The winner will be presented with a cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze statue known as ‘the Bessie’, created by artist Grizel Niven. Both are anonymously endowed.

“The Orange Prize for Fiction has grown to become one of Britain’s most prestigious international literary awards”, commented Stuart Jackson, Communications Director of Orange. “The depth and variety revealed in this year’s shortlist reflects the range and calibre of women’s writing that the Orange Prize has championed since its inception fifteen years ago.”

Free Shortlist Extracts to Your Mobile

Orange is partnering with mobile book specialist GoSpoken this year to offer free downloadable extracts of the
shortlisted books direct to your mobile. Text extracts from all six shortlisted books will be available to download for free from today by texting ‘prize’ to 60300 from any UK mobile. *

The award ceremony will take place in The Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London, on 9 June 2010. All six authors will be attending the award ceremony on 9 June and the Orange Prize shortlist readings event hosted at the Southbank Centre on 8 June 2010.

Previous winners are Marilynne Robinson for Home (2009), Rose Tremain for The Road Home (2008), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Half of a Yellow Sun (2007), Zadie Smith for On Beauty (2006), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), Valerie Martin for Property (2003), Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (2002), Kate Grenville for The Idea of Perfection (2001), Linda Grant for When I Lived in Modern Times (2000), Suzanne Berne for A Crime in the Neighbourhood (1999), Carol Shields for Larry’s Party (1998), Anne Michaels for Fugitive Pieces (1997), and Helen Dunmore for A Spell of Winter (1996).

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