After much excitement, anticipation, and a lot of second guessing at last a winner has been announced for this years Orange Prize for fiction. And the winner is Tea Obreht for her debut novel The Tigers Wife.
The winner was announced last night at London’s Royal festival Hall, Southbank Centre. Can you even imagine how thrilled and elated Tea Obreht must still be feeling right now?
I haven’t read The Tigers Wife yet which is a bit frustrating as I would love to be able to give a more informed response to this years winner. This books been firmly on my TBR list since it made the short list but so have a lot of other books and for some reason I kept choosing something else.
I have to say I was a little surprised, going by other people’s preferences and opinions, I was sure either Annabel, Grace Williams Says it Loud or Room would win. Having read the last two I was happy to see either scoop the prize. I’ve also read mixed reviews of this book so was quite taken a back to see it be crowned the winner.
That said you can never tell which way the judges are going to go for can you?And I’ve also read some amazing things about this book, it definitely sounds like an original and cleverly written piece of work so maybe I shouldnt be so surprised.
Will I be reading this book? Definitely. Although I don’t like to read a book solely on the basis that it’s won an 
award, even one that I admire as much as the Orange Prize, I think your always primed for disappointment if you read something solely on this basis. However this book was already resting in my TBR pile and after reading the first chapter which is available to read for free here, thanks to the lovely people of Orange, I’m now a lot more curious than before.
Have you read this book? Was it the book you wanted to win? Or the one you thought would win? Or are you surprised to see it scoop this years prize? Perhaps you wanted the award to go to someone else? Do tell me your thoughts.
On a slightly seperate note I was also very shocked when I found out that not only was The Tigers Wife Tea Obreht’s debut novel she is also only twenty-five years old! and now she’s won this prestigious award.
Perhaps because were the same age I was even more taken a back, what an amazing achievement for someone so young. Obreht has also produced a number of short stories which I think I’ll have a go at reading so hopefully I will be as bowled over by this up and coming writer as the Orang judges seem to have been.
Will you be reading The Tigers Wife or any of her short stories? Or are you already a fan?
