Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Literature’s annual competitive season begins today with the Women’s Prize for Fiction. It is a contest much to be celebrated. What used to be the Orange Prize has drawn readers’ attention to such luminaries as Carol Shields and Lionel Shriver. Its day has passed, however.
The event is not only an inherently “sexist prize”, as A S Byatt once remarked. The uproar at a men-only prize can only be imagined. It is also one which exacerbates the problem it was supposed to alleviate, entrenching division that should rather be swept away.
The solution to the neglect of female writers is not a separate contest; sustained pressure on judges of “mainstream” prizes to overcome their prejudices is. Anything else is just kicking the can down the road. And, to start things off, the Women’s Prize should be open to all.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments