- Judges
Andrew Holgate has been the Literary Editor of The Sunday Times for almost ten years, and before that was the Deputy Literary Editor for nine. He has worked in bookselling, publishing and literary journalism, and has judged many other prizes, including the Samuel Johnson Award and the Somerset Maugham.
Commenting on the 2017 Award, he said: “I’m so delighted that two such powerful literary voices are able to join me this year, to bring their expertise and experience to bear on the judging process, and to continue the exponential growth of the prize since its rebirth via the kind sponsorship of Peters Fraser & Dunlop, and now associate sponsorship of the University of Warwick. Our two most recent award winners, Sarah Howe and Max Porter, continue a line of excellence that stretches back 26 years, taking their place alongside now preeminent writers such as Robert Macfarlane, Zadie Smith, Sarah Waters and Simon Armitage. All this convinces me further of the prize’s value in identifying and championing the best new talent, and I’m very, very excited by what 2017 will bring.”
