P.S.

While reading Private Eye on the train home I came upon a piece about OPF. Brushing aside the usual complaints about the prize's 'reverse sexism', the article concentrated on evidence of ageism - pointing out that only 2 novelists over 60 have won (the late Carol Shields and Rose Tremain). 

"Bookworm" attributed this to the generally relatively youthful judging panel, and suggested that this year's panel, headed by 39 year old Fi Glover "have a chance to end the pattern of age discrimination by honouring an older woman for the second year running: America's Marilynne Robinson, like Tremain in her mid-60s [actually - she's 62: Ed] would be a classy contender"

Nuff said

And the winner is.....

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.

Pre-match nerves

 Readying myself to take the train to London (on a day like this it has to be the lovely Waterloo line from Honiton) for this evening's OPF Award ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall. It's always a great evening, carried off in a style those of us in libraries can only dream of. It's touching that authors who can command this sort of attention for their work - great venue, good champagne, mesmerising canapes and hordes of press photographers crouching at the foot of the stage - are often also prepared to come to do an event in a library .... with a glass of indifferent wine (if they're lucky - otherwise a cup of tea) and a space created by staff heaving aside the book shelves, borrowing extra chairs from the scout hut and maybe - if there's nothing else going on - a visit in the middle of their talk from a youth from the local paper.

Half joking, really - in fact we've come on a long way in recent years, and many libraries are new or re-furbished. Here in Devon we have had new libraries  - The Ivybridge Watermark, South Molton, and Princetown - open within the last couple of years, and have  an ambitious modernisation programme under way. But still, all across the country enthusiastic and passionate staff are willing to ignore the drawbacks of their surroundings and invite authors in - and they come.

The excitement is tinged as always by a vague feeling of guilt at not having read all the list - and the possibility that the winner and her work will be unknown to me. That's more than compensated for by the fact that - should she make the trip - I could be in the same room and get to hear the author of Gilead, among many other potential joys! I'm not sure if Bernardine Evaristo will also make an appearance. Her book Blonde Roots was chosen last night as the winner by the Youth Panel, who have been shadowing the prize. Made up of 3 males, 3 females and all aged between 16-19, they showed an independence of spirit early on, when their shortlist failed to match that of the official panel in every particular! More information on this on the Orange Prize website.

The bookies favourite is currently Ellen Feldman for Scottsboro - and I shouldn't be sad about that. 

So - off we go, and with a bit of luck my next blog will read more like a gossip column....