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New £10,000 prize for début fiction

04.09.07 Anna Richardson

A new biennial literary prize for début novels worth £10,000 will be launched next year. The Desmond Elliott Prize for a first novel published in the UK was created in memory of publisher and agent Desmond Elliott and is designed to support new writers and celebrate new fiction.

A panel of three judges--to be announced in January 2008--will look for a first novel which creates a "buzz", a book with "wide appeal and star quality". Books will be considered from all fiction genres. As an indicator, past contenders might have been The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Beach, White Teeth, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, The Thirteenth Tale, Brick Lane, The Tenderness of Wolves, according to the prize administrators.

A longlist of 10 titles will be announced in March, followed by a shortlist of three books in May 2008. The winner of the inaugural prize will be announced in June 2008.

Dallas Manderson, group sales director of Orion Publishing Group and chair of the Desmond Elliott Charitable Trust, commented: "It was with characteristic generosity that Desmond directed that the proceeds of his estate should fund a prize for first-time authors. We hope that the prize will also inspire readers to celebrate and enjoy the wonderful new writers of the future."

Deadline for submissions is Friday, 23 November 2007, with entry forms downloadable at www.desmondelliottprize.com.

Anna Richardson Prize Desmond Elliott Prize

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