Press Release: Prizes and Awards
Fi Glover To Chair Orange Prize For Fiction Panel In 2009
Posted at 8:11AM Thursday 18 Dec 2008
Now in its fourteenth 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 judges for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2009 have been confirmed as: Fi Glover (Chair), Broadcaster Bidisha, Writer and Novelist Sarah Churchwell, Journalist and Academic Kira Cochrane, Journalist Martha Lane Fox, Entrepreneur Fi Glover, commented: "I am delighted to be asked to chair this year's Orange Prize. I can't think of a better way to combat the vagaries and uncertainties of the world around us, than to lose myself in the wisdom and wonder of women's fiction." 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. Ian Smith, Head of Entertainment & Brand Marketing at Orange, commented: "The Orange Prize consistently attracts a fantastic range of judges and this year is no exception. We look forward to following their journey from selecting the longlist to announcing the Orange Prize 2009 winner with great anticipation." Previous winners of the Orange Prize for Fiction are Helen Dunmore for A Spell of Winter (1996), Anne Michaels for Fugitive Pieces (1997), Carol Shields for Larry's Party (1998), Suzanne Berne for A Crime in the Neighbourhood (1999), Linda Grant for When I Lived in Modern Times (2000), Kate Grenville for The Idea of Perfection (2001), Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (2002) Valerie Martin for Property (2003), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk about Kevin (2005), Zadie Smith for On Beauty (2006), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Half of a Yellow Sun (2007) and Rose Tremain for The Road Home (2008). For the 2009 Orange Prize, novels must be published in the UK between 1st April 2008 and 31st March 2009. The prize is administered by Booktrust, the UK charity for books and reading. Orange has sponsored the prize since its inaugural year, 1996. For more information, please visit www.orangeprize.co.uk <http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/> For further information, please contact: Naomi Li at M&C Saatchi: Tel: 0207 544 3687 Email: naomi.li@mcsaatchi.com
|
