The Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 Longlist was revealed yesterday, and one judge complained publicly about the 129 authors she read for the prize.
In the Guardian, television producer and writer Daisy Goodwin knocked the choices: “I think the misery memoir has had its day, but there are an awful lot of books out there which had not a shred of redemption in them … I was surprised at how little I laughed … and the ones where there was humour were much appreciated I can tell you.”
What do you think? Last year, Marilynne Robinson won the £30000 prize. See all 20 longlisted finalists after the jump–a list that includes everybody from Sarah Waters to Hilary Mantel to Barbara Kingsolver.
The Orange Prize for Fiction 2010 Longlist
Rosie Alison The Very Thought of You Alma Books
Eleanor Catton The Rehearsal Granta
Clare Clark Savage Lands Harvill Secker
Amanda Craig Hearts and Minds Little, Brown
Roopa Farooki The Way Things Look to Me Pan Books
Rebecca Gowers The Twisted Heart Canongate
M.J. Hyland This is How Canongate
Sadie Jones Small Wars Chatto & Windus
Barbara Kingsolver The Lacuna Faber and Faber
Laila Lalami Secret Son Viking
Andrea Levy The Long Song Headline Review
Attica Locke Black Water Rising Serpent’s Tail
Maria McCann The Wilding Faber and Faber
Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall Fourth Estate
Nadifa Mohamed Black Mamba Boy HarperCollins
Lorrie Moore A Gate at the Stairs Faber and Faber
Monique Roffey The White Woman on the Green Bicycle Simon and Schuster
Amy Sackville The Still Point Portobello Books
Kathryn Stockett The Help Fig Tree
Sarah Waters The Little Stranger Virago