The judges for this year's Orange Prize are Joanna Trollope, Lisa Appignanesi, Victoria Derbyshire, Natalie Haynes, and Natasha Kaplinsky.

The longlist for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction has been announced – a diverse range of works, including five first novels. You can read the complete longlist (along with synopses of the novels and short biographies of the writers) at the Orange Prize homepage, or view shortlists and prize-winners from previous years.

Established in 1996, the Orange Prize is awarded to female writers of novels. Prize-winners receive £30,000 and a bronze sculpture called the “Bessie.” The shortlist for this year’s Orange Prize will be announced on April 17th, and the winner will be announced May 30th.