The judges for the inaugural Desmond Elliott Prize are announced today, 25 January 2008. Best-selling author, Penny Vincenzi will chair the panel of judges and is joined by Tatler Editor, Geordie Greig and author and journalist Cristina Odone.

The Desmond Elliott Prize is a new biennial award for a first novel published in the UK. It is named in honour of literary agent Desmond Elliott, one of the most charismatic and successful men in recent publishing history who died in August 2003.

Worth £10,000 to the winner, the Prize is designed to support new writers and celebrate sparkling new fiction, reflecting Desmond Elliott’s professional ethos to ensure that his authors were liberated of financial worries and therefore free to write happily and securely.

Penny Vincenzi, who was represented by Desmond Elliott, comments, “This prize is the perfect memorial to Desmond. He believed so passionately in supporting new writers, and bringing the very best of entertaining fiction to readers. It’s all extremely exciting, and we, the judges, feel we’re not just helping new writers, we’re discovering and enjoying some sparkling new fiction for ourselves.”

click here for the Judges profiles

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