What an evening that was! Less famous faces than in some previous years - though I did spot Kate Adie, Andrea Levy and Julie Myerson, among many others. With Sandeep Mahal of The Reading Agency and Angela Hickin of Hampshire Libraries I enjoyed a natter about the recent successes of Reading Partners - the libraries/publishers partnership in which we're all involved, as well as speculating on the potential winner.
The announcement of the winner was as exciting as always. First of all the Orange Award for New writers - Francesca Kay was awarded the prize by Chair of Judges Mishal Husain for her novel An Equal Stillness. She delivered a brief and heartfelt speech of thanks and led many of the audience to remind themselves to pay more attention to the OANW and catch up with their reading.
Kate Moss turned her attention to the Youth Panel, who the previous night had named Bernardine Evaristo as their winner. Showing remarkable insouciance for people currently involved in exams, several of the panel were clearly enjoying the ceremony and the praise heaped on them by Kate, who felt that the experiment had exceeded all her hopes, with the passion for the books, and the quality of debate which they demonstrated. And then . . . the main course.
After an introduction by the Chair of Judges - this year Fi Glover - each shortlisted author is called up and presented with a lavish bouquet, looks vaguely embarrassed/modest while the press do their worst, then she rejoins the other candidates to one side of the stage to await the announcement. As is usual, praise was then given to all the contenders, and the quality of the list remarked upon. The comments then made about the winner were suitably generalised to make any result possible... "it's Ellen Feldman - no, it's one of the ones I haven't read!..." before it all became clear:
"This year's Orange prize winner has a luminous quality to it that has drawn all of the judges to a unanimous decision. The profound nature of the writing stood out, as has the ability of the writer to draw the reader into a world of hope,expectation, misunderstanding, love and kindness"
It could be none other - Marilynne Robinson! A gracious thanks and generous acknowledgement of her fellow short listers, then a huge sigh of relief from Kate Moss, who had brought the whole event in on time and the party began. I was able to have a few words with Marilynne Robinson herself - who in person was as measured and gentle as her prose, and still clutching her bouquet.Though I'm sure she would have agreed, it would have been crass (if tempting) to ask to have a photograph taken with her - so I made do with a sign-off picture of "Librarian and Fan in front of huge mock-up of winning book".
OPF over for another year - we'll be back next year, with what already promises to be a vinage prize .... Sarah Waters and Hilary Mantel, for starters, and who can tell what wonderful new authors we'll discover.