A Startling Admission – She Wanted to Win.

As some have noted, Lionel Shriver changed her name when she was fifteen – there must be a story there.  Maybe it’s buried in the pages of her book.  Go figure.  Meanwhile she gets bigtime press for winning the 10th Orange Prize for fiction by a woman, for her novel WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN.

Lionel comments to the BBC:    “On some kind of sneaky, subterranean level, I thought I was going to win. I have been very ambitious from the start on this prize. I wanted it. I wanted it badly.”

The selection is touted as a victory for smaller publishers; Serpent’s Tail is her UK publisher, and Perseus’s Counterpoint published the book in the US.

And yes, Ingrid.  Orange shortlister  “Joolz” is a woman, too – of the most interesting kind.  And also of interest, Denby’s novel BILLIE MORGAN is published by Serpent’s Tail in the UK.  A good shortlist total for this edgy little press.)