Category: Radio
4
Date: 08.12.2004
Printable version
91Èȱ¬ Radio 4's Woman's
Hour listeners have voted Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen as
the book that has most changed the way women see themselves.
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In this morning's programme, a live studio audience
decided on the winner from a list of five finalists chosen by thousands
of listeners who have been nominating and voting for their chosen books
over the last three months.
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Before the audience were asked to place their votes,
the novelists Monica Ali, Rachel Seifert and Jill Dawson,
writer and historian Marina Warner, and thriller writer Sarah
Dunant made their case for each of the books.
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The other finalists were Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte,
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Women's Room by Marilyn French
and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
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Brick Lane author and champion of Pride and Prejudice
Monica Ali says: "If ever we wished to identify with a character,
it must be Lizzie.
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"She's quick witted, lively, self assured and yet
so infallibly human and she takes us on that most important journey
- the path to self knowledge."
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Presenter of Woman's Hour Jenni Murray says:
"It's a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen's Pride
and Prejudice is number one in the Woman's Hour poll.
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"Jane Austen guides us through the social straightjacket
of the 19th century marriage market and leaves us with a pair well matched.
Every woman's dream."
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The final decision brings an end to the Women's Watershed
Fiction competition which has been running since September.
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During this time, listeners and high profile women
including Cherie Booth, Glenys Kinnock and June Sarpong championed on
air their chosen novel.
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Notes to Editors
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The final five books were voted on from a list of 30
books that listeners nominated from 14 September to 1 November.
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Over 13,800 votes were cast for the final books.
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Cherie Booth chose The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing,
Glenys Kinnock chose Love of Worker Bees by Alexandra Kollontai and
June Sarpong chose Orange Laughter by Leone Ross.
