Blogger and Maths Prof Join Weird Fiction Writer as Judges of New £50, 000 Writing Prize

Britain’s first literary blogger will join a mathematician, a weird fiction writer, a poet and a journalist on the judging panel for a new £50, 000 writing prize – the Warwick Prize for Writing.
China Miéville, award- winning writer of what he describes as ‘weird fiction’, will chair the panel of five judges, all experts in their chosen field of writing. Joining the panel is poet and novelist Jackie Kay, Guardian journalist Maya Jaggi, Britain’s first book blogger Stephen Mitchelmore and University of Warwick mathematician Professor Ian Stewart.

The international and cross-disciplinary prize, run by the University of Warwick, is set to redefine traditional forms of writing. All members of the university’s staff, Honorary Graduates and Honorary Professors have been invited to make a nomination for a prize entry.

Entries are expected to include all kinds of writing - from science theories and philosophical essays to poetry and electronic novels. The prize will be given biennially for an excellent and substantial piece of writing in the English language, in any genre or form. The theme will change with every prize: the 2009 theme is Complexity.

A longlist of 15 to 20 titles will be announced in November 2008 followed by a shortlist of six titles in January 2009. The winner will be announced by the University of Warwick in February 2009.