The 2011 Orange Prize

The longlist for this year's award was announced today:

Leila Aboulela - Lyrics Alley
Carol Birch - Jamrach's Menagerie
Emma Donoghue - Room
Tishani Doshi - The Pleasure Seekers
Louise Doughty - Whatever You Love
Jennifer Egan - A Visit from the Goon Squad
Aminatta Forna - The Memory of Love
Tessa Hadley - The London Train
Emma Henderson - Grace Williams Says it Loud
Samantha Hunt - The Seas
Joanna Kavenna - The Birth of Love
Nicole Krauss - Great House
Wendy Law-Yone - The Road to Wanting
Téa Obreht - The Tiger's Wife
Julie Orringer - The Invisible Bridge
Anne Peile - Repeat it Today with Tears
Karen Russell - Swamplandia!
Lola Shoneyin - The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
Roma Tearne - The Swimmer
Kathleen Winter - Annabel

The shortlist will be announced on 12 April, and the prize will be awarded on 8 June.

More information:

'The Tiger's Wife' author Obreht nominated for Orange Prize

Orange prize longlist tackles difficult subjects – and alligators

I've read Great House which I consider worthy of a prize and Room which I don't think is as good.

I agree with Amanda about both those books and also consider A Visit from the Goon Squad eminently prize-worthy. I haven't (yet) read any of the others.

While I have both Room and A Visit from the Goon Squad on my e-reader waiting to be read, I have actually read The Invisible Bridge which might be my best book of the year so far and will definitely make my top 5 for the year.

I have to say, this is one of my favorite prizes as i find I consistently enjoy most of the nominees and winners, with many of the other awards I wonder if I'm reading the same book as the judges.

The Invisible Bridge could take it and I'd be happy.

#2 - Interestingly, the only two others that I have read are Great House (hated it) and Room (quite enjoyed it but would agree that its probably not going to win).

ETA: Oh wait! I also read Annabel and really liked it. Again, I think like Room, it's good but don't think it will win either.

I'm embarresed to say I've only read Annabel and very much enjoyed it. I do have Room but I've yet to read it. I'll have to look at some of the others. I did not like The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - so I'm going to guess I won't be keen on Great House.

Crap, I had The History of Love on the TBR pile and was hoping that it would be better than Great House. Guess not! I will still give it a go but it sounds like one that will probably be off the shelf for good.

The shortlist has been announced

Emma Donoghue - Room
Aminatta Forna - The Memory of Love
Emma Henderson - Grace Williams Says it Loud
Nicole Krauss - Great House
Téa Obreht - The Tiger's Wife
Kathleen Winter - Annabel

Winner announced June 8

Hunh.. look at that. Now I can say that I have already read 3 of the 6. Cool.

#9: Same here; I've read Grace Williams Says it Loud, Room and Annabel.

I've now read 4 on the list: Room, The Memory of Love, Great House, and Tiger's Wife. I've received the other 2 on the shortlist and will read them before the announcement date.

The winner of this year's Orange Prize is The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht.

The winner of the 2011 Orange Prize is:

The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht

More info about this year's prize winning novel and its author:

Téa Obreht wins 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction

Téa Obreht: LibraryThing Author Interview

Orange July is just around the corner! Orange July is when you make a personal commitment to read at least one book that has won or been nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction.

If you're interested in participating, please visit the Orange January/July LibraryThing group to learn more. Here's a direct link to the Orange July 2011 thread.

(Please pardon the repost!)

Anyone read the Obreht book - any feedback. Worth buying?

Just finisher The Tiger's Wife and can highly recommend it. She has a lovely style - the book is interwoven stories, almost like a series of short stories linked together. Defo worth the read.

>17 kiwidoc:: it's next up on my TBR ... glad to see you enjoyed it!

Orange Prize lovers! Orange January 2012 is right around the corner! Orange January is when you pledge to read at least one book that has won or been nominated for the Orange Prize. Come join the fun! Here's the discussion thread to get you started!