Monique Roffey's THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE was longlisted today for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2010, along with acclaimed writers such as Andrea Levy, Sarah Waters and Booker-Prize winner Hilary Mantel.

The longlist, comprising twenty novels, was described by the chairwoman Daisy Goodwin as "muscular, original and pleasurable", a list which will appeal to all kinds of readers". Please click here to read the full article by the Bookseller.

The Orange Prize, first awarded in 1996, is the only British literary prize which focuses exclusively on novels written by women. The shortlist will be published on April 20th, and the winner will be announced at the award ceremony on June 9th. For more information about the prize as well as the novel's entry on the Orange Prize's website, click here.

THE WHITE WOMAN ON THE GREEN BICYCLE has been published in the UK (Simon and Schuster, 2009) and in Australia (Penguin, 2009). The UK paperback will be out on July 8th. Suzanne Berne, a previous winner of the Orange Prize, describes Monique Roffey's novel as "vibrant, provocative, satisfying", her Trinidad "so beautifully and lushly evoked that while I was reading Trinidad became more real for me than my own neighbourhood". According to Booker-Prize nominee Sarah Hall, "Monique Roffey is a writer of verve, vibrancy and compassion, and her work is always a joy to read."

More praise for Monique Roffey:

'Vibrant and vivid; passionate and true. This is a powerful tropical mix; a compassionate book that needed to be written.'
-- Amanda Smyth, author of BLACK ROCK

'Compelling and original. A bruised, sensuous love-letter to Trinidad which grippingly unfolds the violent aftermath of colonial rule and also speaks fearlessly of love and hatred across the lines of 'race' and class.'
-- Maggie Gee

'Monique Roffey's story of contemporary Trinidad seen through European eyes breaks entirely new ground. It is a major contribution to the new wave of Caribbean writing: energetic, uncompromising, bold in the choice of narrative devices, and a great read. Roffey is a magical storyteller...Boundless in its understanding of the human spirit…will resonate with readers everywhere.'                                                           
-- Olive Senior, Jamaican poet, short story writer and Commonwealth Prize-winner

'It's a dramatic and enlightening exploration of colonialism and revolt in Trinidad through the perceptions of two main characters caught up in a tumultuous history. It's also an honest and moving anatomy of a long marriage, its comforts and costs. What is very striking is the equal compassion in the portrayals of a faithless, selfish man and a disappointed woman - Monique's merciful identification with both of them reminds me of Toni Morrison.'
-- Linda Anderson, author of TO STAY ALIVE and CUCKOO