Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Announces 2017 Judging Panel
- Chaired by Tessa Ross, CEO House Productions
- Panel includes Sam Baker, Katie Derham, Aminatta Forna and Sara Pascoe
- Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2017 Awards Ceremony: 7th June 2017
London, Thursday 20 October 2016: The judges for the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, the UK’s most prestigious annual book award for fiction written by a woman, now in its 22nd year, are announced today.
Chair of Judges, Tessa Ross, CEO House Productions, is joined by Sam Baker, journalist, author and co-founder of The Pool; Katie Derham, presenter and broadcaster; Aminatta Forna, award-winning novelist, memoirist and essayist and Sara Pascoe, comic and author.
“I’m honoured to be chairing this year’s Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction,” commented Tessa Ross, “As well as the great pleasure of spending time with four very talented judges, I’m thrilled to be part of this celebration of great writing and very much look forward to it.”
Established in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout the world to the widest range of readers possible, the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction is awarded for the best novel of the year written by a woman. Any woman writing in English – whatever her nationality, country of residence, age or subject matter – is eligible.
The winner will receive an anonymously endowed cheque for £30,000 and a limited edition bronze figurine known as a ‘Bessie’, created and donated by the artist Grizel Niven.
The 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction will be awarded on June 7th 2017 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London.
Previous winners include Lisa McInerney for The Glorious Heresies (2016), Ali Smith for How to be Both (2015), Eimear McBride for A Girl is a Half-formed Thing (2014), A.M. Homes for May We Be Forgiven (2013), Madeline Miller for The Song of Achilles (2012), Téa Obreht for The Tiger’s Wife (2011), Barbara Kingsolver for The Lacuna (2010), Marilynne Robinson for Home (2009), Rose Tremain for The Road Home (2008), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Half of a Yellow Sun (2007), Zadie Smith for On Beauty (2006), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005), Andrea Levy for Small Island (2004), Valerie Martin for Property (2003), Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (2002), Kate Grenville for The Idea of Perfection (2001), Linda Grant for When I Lived in Modern Times (2000), Suzanne Berne for A Crime in the Neighbourhood (1999), Carol Shields for Larry’s Party (1998), Anne Michaels for Fugitive Pieces (1997), and Helen Dunmore for A Spell of Winter (1996).
For the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2017, novels must be published in the UK between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2017. The Prize is administered by the Society of Authors.
VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/187969026
Password: bwpff