The world must be colored in orange for Madeline Miller. She’s the winner of the Orange Prize for fiction, a prize given to a female novelist writing in English. The American novelist is 30, 000 pounds richer for her debut novel, The Songs of Achilles. I’m really happy for her. Of course, the sales of her book are expected to skyrocket. Champagne glasses may still be clinking, but detractors are busy. Some are questioning the literary merit of her novel. Even The Telegraph that seems pretty excited about Miller’s modern retelling of the Achilles-Patroclus story calls the novel a “homoerotic slash fiction” of sorts. I get the sense that Miller’s novel is a fun read but no literary masterpiece. Which, honestly, can be a good thing. Winning this prize must be special for Miller not just because she’s the fourth American in a row to snag the award but also because she got the last Orange prize for fiction. Yes last one ever. Orange Mobile recently pulled out their sponsorship. They have their eyes on the film industry. For more on this click HERE.
Anyway, enjoy the photos from the award ceremony. I’d have liked a tad more glitz and glam, a proper red carpet or something. Literary achievers, sadly, tend not to have the slightest bit of swag. As for Miller, she certainly has her dowdy moments. Check out the yawn-worthy thing she has on at the award ceremony (scroll down). But she’s a pretty woman, she’s a novelist, and now she has a stack of cash. Let’s just say she’s half way to being sexy. Congrats Madeline!
Image credit:
AP
N. Coppedge June 01, 2012 13:01
I'd like to win a literary prize for my self-published book, the 1-Page-Classics.