Britain’s Orange Prize was established 16 years ago to promote women’s fiction in English. The judges look around the world for “excellence, originality, and accessibility” (and no, the first criterion isn’t automatically canceled out by the third). Three of this year’s shortlisted novels deal with imprisoned women, three with the aftermath of war, and three nominees are first-time novelists. The winner, who will be announced Wednesday in London, will receive about $50,000 and a bronze statue nicknamed “Bessie.”
