2012 Orange Prize for Fiction jury panel announced

Orange Prize for Fiction Awards Ceremony: 30 May 2012

Now in its seventeenth 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 2012 have been confirmed as:

Joanna Trollope, (Chair), Writer

Lisa Appignanesi, Writer, Novelist and Broadcaster

Victoria Derbyshire, Journalist and Broadcaster

Natalie Haynes, Writer and Broadcaster

Natasha Kaplinsky, Broadcaster

"This is a wonderful quartet of judges. Because of their different professions, they all have a different perspective on the power of language and ideas, and thus will bring energy and experience to our discussions.” commented,Joanna Trollope, “They are all extremely busy, so I am especially grateful to them all for agreeing to participate in judging this significant prize which has produced winners of true distinction and originality. I love the fact that it is generously and properly open to the world.”

The Orange Prize for Fiction is also pleased to announce former judge, Martha Lane Fox, will be joining the Women’s Committee in 2012. The Women's Committee evolved from the group of women who founded the Prize and its role includes acting as guardians of the Prize. Martha Lane Fox has expressed how honoured she is to join the committee whose current members comprise: Kate Mosse (Co-Founder and novelist), Clare Alexander (ex publisher and literary agent), Jane Gregory (Co-Founder and literary agent), Harriet Hastings (Project Director), Susan Sandon (Co-Founder and Cornerstone MD) and Carole Welch (Publishing Director of Sceptre).

Set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible, the Orange Prize for Fiction 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. 

Previous winners of the Orange Prize for Fiction are Helen Dunmore forA Spell of Winter(1996), Anne Michaels forFugitive Pieces(1997), Carol Shields forLarry’s Party(1998), Suzanne Berne forA Crime in the Neighbourhood(1999), Linda Grant forWhen I Lived in Modern Times(2000), Kate Grenville forThe Idea of Perfection(2001), Ann Patchett forBel Canto(2002) Valerie Martin forProperty(2003), Andrea Levy forSmall Island(2004), Lionel Shriver forWe Need to Talk about Kevin(2005), Zadie Smith forOn Beauty(2006), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie forHalf of a Yellow Sun(2007), Rose Tremain forThe Road Home(2008), Marilyn Robinson forHome(2009), Barbara Kingsolver forThe Lacuna(2010) and Téa Obreht forThe Tiger’s Wife(2011). 

For the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction, novels must be published in the UK between 1st April 2011 and 31st March 2012. 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 visitwww.orangeprize.co.uk

For press enquiries, please contact:

Alex Wilkinson at M&C Saatchi:

Tel: 020 7544 3855

Email: alex.wilkinson@mcsaatchi.com

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Orange Prize for Fiction Patrons

The role of the patrons is to be an advocate for the Orange Prize for Fiction, supporting its aim of promoting the very best international fiction by women. Most of the Orange Prize patrons have been directly involved in the prize in some way, many as judges lending their time, wisdom and energy to help establish the prize as the huge success it is today.

The patrons are:

Dame Gillian Beer DBE, Professor Lisa Jardine CBE, Jude Kelly OBE, Helena Kennedy Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws QC FRSA, Sue MacGregor CBE, Jenni Murray OBE, Shami Chakrabarti CBE, Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE, Rosie Boycott, Liz Calder, Fi Glover, Daisy Goodwin, Muriel Gray, Paula Kahn, Martha Kearney, Kirsty Lang, Sheena McDonald, Penny Perrick, Dame Gail Rebuck DBE, Gillian Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, Ahdaf Soueif, Sandi Toksvig and Polly Toynbee.

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