Caine Prize appoints new chair of trustees

Dr Delia Jarrett-Macauley has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees and of the Advisory Council of the Caine Prize to replace Jonathan Taylor CBE. Mr. Taylor, a founder of the Prize, who has retired having served as Chairman since its inception seventeen years ago said, “I have been very glad and proud to […]

Dr Delia Jarrett-Macauley has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees and of the Advisory Council of the Caine Prize to replace Jonathan Taylor CBE.
Mr. Taylor, a founder of the Prize, who has retired having served as Chairman since its inception seventeen years ago said,
“I have been very glad and proud to have led the Caine Prize since its foundation. We have come a long way and the Prize has provided a launching pad for very many successful literary careers. I am delighted that Delia will be succeeding me.  She is an accomplished writer, broadcaster, academic and consultant. Most recently she has chaired the panel of judges for the 2016 Caine Prize. Under her leadership the Prize will continue to develop and she will take it in exciting new directions.”
Jonathan was Chairman of the Booker Prize Foundation from 2001 to 2015. He was also Chair of the Trustees of the International Prize of Arabic Fiction.
On her part, Delia said, “I am honoured and delighted to have been appointed as the Chair.  I hope to push the boundaries of the Caine Prize: a venture that attracts the greatest literary talent from the African continent.  I am looking forward to working with Lizzy Attree, our Director, and with the Board of Trustees and Council members.”
In addition to Delia, the Board of Trustees has been reinforced and rejuvenated by four new members. They are Gus Casely-Hayford, cultural historian; Adam Freudenheim, publisher of Pushkin Press; Fiammetta Rocco, books and art editor at the Economist; and Véronique Tadjo, an author and poet.
The Caine Prize is now regarded as the most successful and significant award for African literary fiction. Since 2000, every winner has gone on to achieve literary success, as have many of the shortlisted writers. Media interest in the prize has also grown year-on-year, with extensive coverage in leading broadcasts and publications in the UK and across Africa.