Orange Award For New Writers Announces 2009 Shortlist
BBC News, Tuesday 07 Apr 2009

The Orange Award for New Writers, launched in 2005, has announced this year's shortlist.
All first works of fiction, including novels, short story collections and novellas, written in English by a woman of any age or nationality and published as a book in the UK, are eligible. The emphasis of the award is on emerging talent and the evidence of future potential. The winner will receive a £10,000 bursary funded by Arts Council England which is intended to help the winning writer pursue their work with greater freedom.

The 2009 shortlist is:

Francesca Kay - An Equal Stillness (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Nami Mun - Miles From Nowhere (Virago)

Ann Weisgarber - The Personal History of Rachel DuPree (Macmillan New Writing)

The judges for the 2009 Orange Award for New Writers are:

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

The Award was launched in 2005 in partnership with Arts Council England. Renewing their commitment to the partnership with Orange, Arts Council England has committed a further £30,000 over the next three years (£10,000 per year) for bursary awards for the winners 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.