Zadie Smith wins the Orange prize

Some weeks ago I asked: Do women deserve a book prize of their own?

The folks at the Orange prize clearly think they do, and Zadie Smith won their award this year for On Beauty.

She had been shortlisted for both of her previous novels, White Teeth in 2001 and The Autograph Man in 2003.

Interested in more facts about Zadie Smith? Click here.

On Beauty was also nominated for the Man Booker Prize last year. It didn't win but, even though I thought it was a fine book, I don't think that was so unfair. And I doubt that anyone will ever say that 2005 was the Booker Prize's "Henry Fonda" year.

--Marshal Zeringue