Prize-winning authors

With Sri Lanka's Shehan Karunatilaka and India's Geetanjali Shree taking home two of publishing's biggest prizes, what next for one of the world's most overlooked literary regions?

After its sponsorship model changed from a single-headline partnership with Baileys, the Women's Prize is enjoying a golden summer of talks, workshops and a booming merchandise line backed by high-profile influencers.

Margaret Drabble was a bright young star with five novels to her name in 1971, when she was talked into joining her old friend JB Priestley on the judging panel for a new book prize. "Jack told me that I should spend the fee (which came in wine) by choosing some very nice half-bottles to drink by myself, which I did," she recalls.

Women ‘are routinely overlooked for awards,' says Melinda Gates as her Pivotal Ventures company backs the forthcoming Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.

Though there were four debuts on the Booker shortlist, it's been more than a decade since a debut won. And with two magisterial novels from established writers in Maaza Mengiste's The Shadow King and Tsitsi Dangarembga's This Mournable Body on the list, first-timer Douglas Stuart's success may come as a surprise.  Read more