London, Monday 8th October 2012: Now in its eighteenth year, the Women’s Prize for
Fiction was set up to celebrate excellence, originality and accessibility in
writing by women throughout the world. Known
from 1996 to 2012 as the Orange Prize for Fiction, it is the UK’s most
prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman and also provides
a range of educational, literacy or research initiatives to support reading and
writing.
Today it is announced that, for 2013, the Prize will
be privately funded while headline sponsorship negotiations for 2014 and beyond
are concluded. Funding has been provided in the form of gifts from companies
and individual donors. Supporters include: Bilbary, Bob & Co, Richard &
Elena Bridges, Cherie Blair, Christopher Foyle, Jill Green, Martha Lane Fox,
Lansons Communications, Joanna Trollope, Sue Woodford-Hollick and others who
wish to remain anonymous.
Kate Mosse, Chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction
board, said, “We were
overwhelmed with interest from potential headline sponsors. However, it became
clear sponsorship budgets for next year were already committed, so we took the
decision to privately fund the Prize for 2013 while we finalized our
arrangements for 2014 and beyond. We are delighted that such a wide range of
people are supporting this exceptional year and thank them for their support.”
The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013 is also very
pleased to announce a new partnership with Google who will be working with the
organisers on a number of new initiatives which will support the prize's
ambition of reaching a wider, international audience. Google's platforms
such as Google+ and YouTube, will help to connect authors and judges with a
large online audience from around the world.
WPF 2013 will also be continuing its successful,
long-term partnerships with Southbank Centre, Grazia magazine, The Reading Agency
and Book Trust, who have administered the Prize since 1996.
The WPF is also delighted to welcome four new members
to the Women’s Prize for Fiction Board – Felicity Blunt, Karen Jones, Nicola
Mendelsohn and Joanna Prior.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013 is awarded annually
for the best full novel of the year written by a woman and published in the UK.
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.
The Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013 will be awarded on
June 5th at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
following a series of public events.
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