ANTICIPATION BUILDS AS BAILEYS WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2015 SHORTLIST IS ANNOUNCED

• Chair of Judges, Shami Chakrabarti announces this year’s six shortlisted books at evening drinks reception in central London
• Five previously nominated and one debut author included in prestigious shortlist

• Prize celebrates the very best of fiction written by women

• Winner to be announced at Royal Festival Hall awards ceremony on 3 June

London, 7:15pm, 13 April 2015: This evening saw the announcement of the six books shortlisted for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2015 – the UK’s only annual book award for fiction written by a woman.

The shortlisted titles were revealed by this year’s Chair of Judges, Shami Chakrabarti, during an evening drinks reception at The Magazine Restaurant at London’s Serpentine Sackler Gallery hosted by novelist and Chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction board, Kate Mosse. This year’s selection includes five previously shortlisted authors and one debut novelist:

Now in its twentieth* year, the Prize celebrates excellence, originality and accessibility in writing by women in English from throughout the world.

The judges for the 2015 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction are:

Shami Chakrabarti, (Chair), Director, Liberty

Laura Bates, writer and Founder of The Everyday Sexism Project

Grace Dent, Columnist and Broadcaster

Helen Dunmore, Novelist, Poet and Winner of the Inaugural Orange Prize for Fiction (1996)

Cathy Newman, Presenter, Channel 4 News

“You’ve heard of fantasy football? Well, short-listing for the 2015 Baileys Prize was the fantasy book club of a lifetime,” said Shami Chakrabarti, Chair of judges. “My fellow judges represent the best of British journalism, comment, literature and activism and our deliberations were heart-rendingly difficult but always as warm and collaborative as they were robust.”

She added, “The novels we shared and the shortlist we ultimately honour form a body of great women’s writing to entertain and inspire for many years to come.”

Syl Saller, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo commented, “From a debut to a twentieth novel, this year’s shortlist celebrates exceptional female writers who display a rich and diverse talent for telling stories. Having always championed women, Baileys is thrilled to be working with the Prize to get these six novels by inspirational women into the hands of more book-lovers around the world.”

Guests celebrated the six shortlisted books with a variety of Baileys cocktails and canapés in the stunning surroundings of The Magazine Restaurant in London’s Serpentine Sackler Gallery, designed by pioneering female architect Zaha Hadid.

Set up in 1996 to celebrate and promote international fiction by women 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 winner will be announced at a prestigious awards ceremony to be held in The Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall on 3 June 2015.

Previous winners include 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) and Téa Obreht for The Tiger’s Wife (2011).

• Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist readings: 2 June 2015
• Awards Ceremony: 3 June 2015

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For press enquiries and interview requests for the shortlisted authors or Shami Chakrabarti, Chair of the Baileys Women’s Prize judges, please contact the team at freuds:

Tel 0203 003 630

Email: baileys@freuds.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

• This year’s list carries four British authors, one Pakistani/British author and one American author,
• The following authors have previously been shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction: Rachel Cusk (2007), Kamila Shamsie (2009), Ali Smith (2001), Anne Tyler (1996, 2007), Sarah Waters (2002, 2006).
• There is one first novel on the 2015 shortlist.

BAILEYS Women’s Prize for Fiction

• In June 2013, the prize announced a new three-year partnership with Baileys and from 2014 the prize has been known as the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction.
• The Prize’s patrons are; Dame Gillian Beer DBE, Professor Lisa Jardine CBE, Jude Kelly CBE, Helena Kennedy Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws QC FRSA, Sue MacGregor CBE, Dame Jenni Murray DBE, Shami Chakrabarti CBE, Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE, Rosie Boycott, Liz Calder, Fi Glover, Daisy Goodwin, Muriel Gray, Bettany Hughes, Paula Kahn, Martha Kearney, Kirsty Lang, Sheena McDonald, Penny Perrick, Baroness Gail Rebuck DBE, Miranda Richardson, Gillian Shephard, Baroness Shephard of Northwold, Ahdaf Soueif, Sandi Toksvig OBE, Polly Toynbee and Joanna Trollope OBE.
• The Prize’s board comprises of Kate Mosse OBE (Chair), Clare Alexander, Felicity Blunt, Jane Gregory (Company Secretary), Harriet Hastings (Managing Director), Karen Jones, Baroness Lane Fox of Soho, Nicola Mendelsohn, Joanna Prior and Carole Welch.
• * The Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction was known as the Orange Prize for Fiction between 1996 and 2012.

About BAILEYS

BAILEYS and the Prize share a mutual purpose, to celebrate brilliant women and their shared ambition is to bring the best women’s writing and female storytellers to ever-wider audiences.

In November this year, BAILEYS launched their latest campaign celebrating the power of female friendship and the great things that happen when girls get together. The campaign sees the introduction of the brand’s new endline ‘Here’s to us’, which invites women to get out there with their girls, wherever they are in the world, and toast them with a Baileys

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Diageo is the world’s leading premium drinks business. With its global vision, and local marketing focus, Diageo brings to consumers an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across the spirits, wine and beer categories including Smirnoff, Guinness, Johnnie Walker, BAILEYS, J&B, Captain Morgan and Tanqueray, and Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines. Diageo trades in some 180 countries around the world and is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com.

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