The Shortlist

The shortlist for The Desmond Elliott Prize 2011, the award for a first novel published in the UK, was announced on Wednesday 25 May 2011.

The three writers shortlisted for the prize include Dazed & Confused writer Ned Beauman, unemployed civil servant Stephen Kelman and former commissioning editor of ELLE Magazine India Anjali Joseph.  Both Beauman and Joseph had been working as journalists when they wrote their first novels, whereas Kelman had just been made redundant from his job as a civil servant when he was snapped up by publisher Bloomsbury.
 
The Desmond Elliott Prize 2011 shortlist:

• Boxer, Beetle by Ned Beauman (Sceptre)
• Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman (Bloomsbury) www.pigeonenglish.co.uk
• Saraswati Park by Anjali Joseph (Fourth Estate)

Edward Stourton on behalf of the judges, commented:
 
“In a strong field these three books stood out for very different reasons; one is startlingly original and written with compelling energy, one is subtle, complex and finely-woven, and one a remarkable imaginative achievement that deals with a difficult subject. Anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction should read them all.”
 
The Desmond Elliott Prize 2011 was chaired by Edward Stourton acclaimed broadcaster and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Show.Edward Stourton was joined by Fanny Blake, journalist, writer and Books Editor of Woman&Home magazine, and Amy Worth, part of the Kindle team at Amazon.co.uk and champion of digital publishing.