Women's Prize for Fiction starts new chapter of sponsorship

Author Kate Mosse is co-founder of the Women's Prize for Fiction

The Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction won't have a single sponsor for next year - it'll have several.

The organisers of the literary prize have announced they will adopt "a new sponsorship model" from 2018.

The hunt for a new backer began in January when drinks company Baileys announced it would be stepping down as title sponsor after this year.

Orange sponsored the award for 17 years up to 2012 before Baileys took over in 2014.

From next year, the title will revert to the Women's Prize for Fiction supported by "a family of sponsors".

• Why do book awards keep changing their name?

One of these will be Baileys, alongside other other "leading brands and businesses from different sectors".

"We are excited to be announcing the next chapter for the prize," said Kate Mosse, novelist and prize co-founder.

"Our family of sponsors model not only gives us a new sustainable way of working in a changing world - based on one already successfully used in other areas of the arts - but also will enable us to reach an even wider range of readers through the varied and long-term partnerships we are building."

She added that she was "obviously thrilled" that Baileys would continue to be associated with the prize.

The winner of the 2017 prize will be announced a ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Wednesday 7 June.

The six-strong list features one previous winner, Linda Grant, and one first-time novelist, Ayobami Adebayo.

The shortlist in full:

• Stay With Me - Ayobami Adebayo

• The Power - Naomi Alderman

• The Dark Circle - Linda Grant

• The Sport of Kings - CE Morgan

• First Love - Gwendoline Riley

• Do Not Say We Have Nothing - Madeleine Thien

Last year's winner was Lisa McInerney for The Glorious Heresies.

What is the Women's Prize for Fiction?

Previous winners of the prize include Zadie Smith

• The Women's Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to what judges consider the best novel of the year written in English by a female author

• It was co-founded by author Kate Mosse, who believed female authors were often overlooked for major literary prizes

• Previous winners of the prize, which has been running since 1996, include Zadie Smith, Ali Smith, Lionel Shriver and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

• The winning author receives £30,000 in prize money