Orange Prize

The novelist A. S. Byatt told The Times that the Orange was a sexist prize, saying that she was so critical of what it stands for that she forbids her publishers to submit her novels for consideration. “Such a prize was never needed,” she said, noting that many works of literature were by women.

What think you? Is there truly a need for a women’s only prize?

Seven of the twenty books to make the longlist are debut novels; others are works that perhaps haven't received the recognition they deserve, while several are from authors who are old hands at this game. The list in full here.

So you know how to read and people know your name; congratulations, you’re now qualified to sit as a judge for a major literary award. What say you, people? Do we need celebrities to validate literary prizes, or do you see this trend as a positive step toward democratization of reading? Or perhaps it’s simply marketing gone mad.