Press Release: Prizes and Awards
Mishal Husain To Chair Orange Award For New Writers 2009
Posted at 8:10AM Thursday 18 Dec 2008
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. This year's judging panel has been confirmed as: Mishal Husain (Chair), Presenter, BBC World News Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent, Evening Standard Diana Evans, Author and winner of the inaugural Orange Award for New Writers Mishal Husain commented: "I'm delighted to be chairing this year's Orange Award for New Writers - it's a chance to see the range of new talent among women writers from across the world and I look forward to a voyage of discovery in finding this year's winner." In partnership with Orange, Arts Council England is committed to providing a £10,000 bursary award for the winner of the Orange Award for New Writers. By offering a bursary to a novelist or short story writer for her first publication, the Arts Council is able to support the professional development of a writer at a crucial stage in her career Commenting on the Orange Award for New Writers, Ian Smith, Head of Entertainment & Brand Marketing at Orange, said: "It's such an honour to have the first-ever winner of the Orange Award for New Writers, Diana Evans, on the jury panel this year. Our investment in the future of female fiction would not be possible without the continued support of Arts Council England." Moira Sinclair, Executive Director of Arts Council England, London said: "The Orange Award for New Writers showcases and rewards the best contemporary writing by women today. Arts Council England is delighted to continue its partnership with Orange, investing in emerging literary talent. Prize money buys freedom, as Rose Tremain said in her Orange Prize winning speech last year, and we hope that the award in 2009 will offer a new literary voice the opportunity to develop in the most favourable conditions." 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 2007 and 31 March 2008 are eligible to enter. The emphasis of the award is on emerging talent and the evidence of future potential. Books can be entered for both the Orange Prize for Fiction and the Orange Award for New Writers in any given year. Judges will be looking for writers who demonstrate excellence, originality and accessibility. For further information, please contact: Naomi Li at M&C Saatchi: Tel: 0207 544 3687 Email: naomi.li@mcsaatchi.com
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