The Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2017 Shadow Panel

Shadowing the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction is always one of my highlights of the reading year. Being introduced to new authors, championing brilliant books, having a tantrum when my favourite doesn’t make the shortlist/win; I love it all.

For the third year, I’m being joined by a panel of four fantastic book lovers. If you’ve followed us in previous years, you’ll be familiar with Eric Karl Anderson and Antonia Honeywell. Joining us this year are Meera Betab and Eleanor Franzen. You can find out more about all of us below.

Please do follow the conversation on Twitter and our blogs. If you’re reading along, we’d love to hear your thoughts. The longlist is announced on Wednesday 8th March, International Women’s Day.

Naomi Frisby runs The Writes of Woman, a celebration of female writers and their work. Her short stories have been shortlisted for The White Review Prize and longlisted for Manchester Fiction Prize. She enjoys interviewing writers both for the blog and at bookshops and literary festivals. She is working towards a PhD in Creative Writing. Find her on Twitter @Frizbot.

Eric Karl Anderson is an American-born writer who has lived in London for over a decade and runs the book blog www.LonesomeReader.com. He’s author of the novel ENOUGH and was a judge of the 2015 Green Carnation Prize. He’s also keen on baking and watching disaster movies. Find him on Twitter @LonesomeReader.

Meera Betab is a welfare rights lawyer, writer and lover of books from West London. She appears in Dividing Lines, an anthology of short stories on the theme of Borders, Boundaries and Belonging, published by Dahlia Publishing in Spring 2017. Find her on Twitter @MeeraBetab.

Eleanor Franzén is a bookseller at Heywood Hill in Mayfair, and blogs about books at www.ellethinks.wordpress.com. She is writing her first novel, lives in South London, and has more books than clothes. Find her on Twitter @EleanorFranzen.

Antonia Honeywell is a teacher, a writer and an avid and promiscuous reader. Her debut novel, The Ship, a haunting dystopian fable for our times, is published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. She enjoys supporting aspiring writers through her work with @Womentoring. www.antoniahoneywell.com Find her on Twitter @antonia_writes.