American writer Ann Patchett, who earlier won the Orange Prize for Fiction for her book Bel Canto, has again been shortlisted for the prize, exclusively for women writing in English for her latest book, State of Wonder. This year’s six-book shortlist includes Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan; The Forgotten Waltz by Booker-winner Anne Enright; Painter of Silence by Georgina Harding; The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and Foreign Bodies by Cynthia Ozick.
There was no Indian woman in the 20-strong longlist for this year’s Orange Prize for Fiction. Last year, Chennai-based writer Tishani Doshi had been included in the longlist for her first novel, The Pleasure Seekers. Pakistani-origin British writer Roopa Farooki, who also made the long list in 2010, did not manage to make the shortlist for fifth novel, The Flying Man.
Serbian-American writer Téa Obreht became the youngest-ever author to win the Orange prize for fiction for her debut novel The Tiger’s Wife last year. American author Barbara Kingsolver won in 2010 for her critically acclaimed novel The Lacuna. British novelist Rose Tremain won the prize for her novel, The Road Home, in 2008 and Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won for Half of A Yellow Sun in 2007. No Indian writer has won the prize as yet. The main protagonist of Patchett’s novel is Marina Singh, who is half-Indian and has been abandoned by her father who returned to India.
The jury for the prize, which is headed by writer Joanna Trollope, includes novelist Lisa Appignanesi, journalist Victoria Derbyshire, writer Natalie Haynes, and broadcaster Natasha Kaplinsky. “This is a shortlist of remarkable quality and variety,” Joanna Trollope, chair of the jury, said at the announcement of the shortlist on Tuesday.
“It includes six distinctive voices and subjects, four nationalities and an age range of close on half a century. It is a privilege to present it.” “My only regret is that the rules of the prize don’t permit a longer shortlist. However, I am confident that the 14 novels we had to leave out will make their own well-deserved way,” she added.