Francesca prima

One writer who is sure to receive a fillip from this years Orange prize for fiction is not Marilynne Robinson,the winner of the overall prize (Ms Robinson,an American Pulitzer-prize-winner and the author of Housekeeping,Gilead and Home,hardly needs introductions). The biggest winner will be the novelist named as the best new writer of the year,Francesca Kay.

Ms Kays An Equal Stillness,her first novel,follows the story of two artists,Jennet Mallow,and her husband,David Heaton. Cast as a biography,the book records Jennets life,contrasting the patience and generosity of spirit a mother needs when dealing with a disabled child and an alcoholic husband with the selfishness required to be an artist.

Raised in South-East Asia and India,and based now in Oxford,Ms Kay has an unusual ability to ignite the imagination. A passion for art and a gift for depicting the landscape of paint,as well as emotion,are what make the book stand out. Anne Michaels,a Canadian poet and no mean wordsmith herself,describes An Equal Stillness as a first novel of uncommon power. Praise to be heeded.

The Economist Newspaper Limited 2009