Novelist Madeline Miller has won the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction with her debut novel, The Song of Achilles. Miller accepted her award at a London ceremony along with a £30,000 cash prize (approximately $46,521 USD) and the “Bessie,” a limited edition bronze figurine.
Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles prior to its release. In addition to her writing career, she also serves as a Latin teacher. Past winners of this award include Barbara Kingsolver‘s The Lacuna (2010), Zadie Smith‘s On Beauty (2006) and Ann Patchett‘s Bel Canto (2002).
The judging committee included writer Joanna Trollope, novelist Lisa Appignanesi, journalist Victoria Derbyshire, writer Natalie Haynes and broadcaster Natasha Kaplinsky. Chair Trollope gave this statement in the release: “This is a more than worthy winner – original, passionate, inventive and uplifting. Homer would be proud of her.”
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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.
Happy Friday everyone. It’s been a busy week here in Oxford, so let’s all just take a few minutes to chill out on this sunny Friday. Why not start by having a look at some of my favourite links this week? May you all have wonderful weekends. Me, I’m planning two days of doing as little as possible other than reading.
The Guardian publishes tributes to J.G. Ballard, who sadly died this week at the age of 78.
The Orange Prize for Fiction 2009 shortlist has just been announced. My money’s on Marilynne Robinson for Home.
The Age of Uncertainty on using photos as bookmarks.
Yesterday was St. George’s Day here in England. Here’s a poem to celebrate.
Waiting for Godot is coming to London with an impressive cast: Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart. The Times asks comedians what they think of Samuel Beckett.
The world’s earliest known dust jacket has been found here in Oxford!
Australian authors defend language.
Have many University of Oxford colleges can you name in 3 minutes? (I am ashamed of how badly I did, and I *live here*).
I’m really not a football (by which I mean soccer) fan, but I loved this story about a German team refunding tickets because they played so badly.
Do our voices always reveal our gender?
