The 20-strong list is almost half made up of debut authors including The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obrecht, already named as one of the New Yorker's 20 under 40 list, while Joanna Kavenna, who won the 2008 Orange New Writers' Prize for her debut novel Inglorious, has been longlisted for her second, The Birth of Love.
"What proved a genuine delight this year was the power of observation and sympathy on the page," said Bettany Hughes, Chair of Judges. "As a panel we had works of searing originality and epic scale in front of us—plus books that were intimate and sometimes magical . . .
"It was a huge tussle to get the list down to 20, but what we have is a gorgeous, widely varied longlist— we'll certainly enjoy re-reading each and every one as we make tough choices to select the Orange Prize shortlist for 2011.''
The judging panel this year also comprised Liz Calder, founder-director of Bloomsbury Publishing and Full Circle Editions; novelist Tracy Chevalier; actress and writer Helen Lederer; and journalist and broadcaster Susanna Reid.
The shortlist will be revealed on 12th April, with the winner of the £30,000 prize announced on 8th June.
The longlist:
Lyrics Alley Leila Aboulela (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Jamrach's Menagerie Carol Birch (Canongate)
Room Emma Donoghue (Picador)
The Pleasure Seekers Tishani Doshi (Bloomsbury)
Whatever You Love Louise Doughty (Faber)
A Visit from the Goon Squad Jennifer Egan (Corsair)
The Memory of Love Aminatta Forna (Bloomsbury)
The London Train Tessa Hadley (Jonathan Cape)
Grace Williams Says it Loud Emma Henderson (Sceptre)
The Seas Samantha Hunt (Corsair)
The Birth of Love Joanna Kavenna (Faber)
Great House Nicole Krauss (Viking)
The Road to Wanting Wendy Law-Yone (Chatto)
The Tiger's Wife Téa Obreht (Weidenfeld)
The Invisible Bridge Julie Orringer (Viking)
Repeat it Today with Tears Anne Peile (Serpent's Tail)
Swamplandia! Karen Russell (Chatto)
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives Lola Shoneyin (Serpent's Tail)
The Swimmer Roma Tearne (HarperPress)
Annabel Kathleen Winter (Jonathan Cape)
Report from The Guardian
Report from The Independent
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