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Baileys pulls out of women’s fiction sponsorship

Diageo is to withdraw the sponsorship of Baileys in the Women’s Prize for Fiction in order to “increase investment behind global activities” across English and non-English speaking markets.

Baileys will no longer be the sponsor of the Women’s Prize for Fiction after this year

Baileys has sponsored the UK’s annual book award – currently called Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction – for the past four years.

The cream liqueur will sponsor this year’s prize, but the award will seek a new sponsor for 2018. Orange sponsored the award for 17 years before Baileys took over in 2014.

Syl Saller, chief marketing officer at Diageo, will join the prize’s board.

“We are very proud to have supported the Women’s Prize for Fiction for four years,” said Saller. “It has been an honour to champion the very best international fiction written by women and to help connect that work with the large readership it deserves.

“However, Baileys now needs to increase its investment behind global activities that work across both English and non-English speaking markets. Regretfully, therefore, we have decided to make way for a new sponsor.

“We look forward to making 2017 an exceptional year. Baileys will remain a staunch advocate for the prize and I am delighted to be continuing our support by joining the board.”

Baileys initially agreed to sponsor the prize, which awards £30,000 to the winner, until 2016, but extended the agreement by another year.

Last year, Lisa McInerney won the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction for her book, The Glorious Heresies.

In November last year, Diageo continued its work to “reposition” Baileys with the launch of a new campaign – Don’t Mind If I Baileys.

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