Birmingham social worker among book prize nominations
A social worker is in the running to win a top literary prize with her first published novel.
Gaynor Arnold, 63, who works for Birmingham City Council’s adoption and fostering service, is among 20 authors longlisted for this year’s Orange Prize for Fiction.
She was nominated for Girl In A Blue Dress, a fictionalised account of the life of Charles Dickens’ wife.
The novel also reached the final 13 competing for last year’s coveted £50,000 Booker Prize.
Arnold, who is signed to Birmingham publisher Tindal Street Press, said she was delighted to be in contention for the Orange Prize, founded in 1996 to celebrate fiction by women.
“I have always been interested in writing and have been producing short stories from childhood. I also did English Literature at university so, although social work has taken 30-odd years of my life, it still came second in my life.”
She said that from concept to publication, Girl In A Blue Dress took her about five years to complete, although the actual writing was only between 18 months and two years.
“Working four days a week for the adoption and fostering service means that I have to write in the evenings, at weekends or on my day off, whenever I can get the time,” added Gaynor.
She is now due to retire from her job with the city council in November, with plans to continue her increasingly successful literary career.
Although Girl In A Blue Dress is her first novel to be published, it is not her first effort as an author.
“I wrote another novel about ten years ago but I was unable to get it published,” she explained. “So, I decided to pursue another idea that I had, which eventually became Girl In A Blue Dress. Tindal Street were absolutely excellent and gave me a lot of support. My ambition now is to carry on writing, and I definitely want to write another novel.”
Other books in the running include five other debut novels and a record nine authors from the US, among them Nobel Prize-winning Toni Morrison’s ninth novel, A Mercy.
The Orange Prize judges are novelist Bidisha, entrepreneur Martha Lane Fox, journalists Kira Cochrane and Sarah Churchwell, and broadcaster Fi Glover, who chairs the judging panel.
The shortlist for the Orange Prize will be announced on April 21 with the award ceremony due to be held on June 3
