Book judge defends success 
of Mantel

Mantel, 60, has already scooped the Booker and Costa Book Award for her historical sequel Bring Up The Bodies and has been shortlisted for the Woman’s Prize For Fiction.

She could now become the first author to win all three titles after the novel, part of a planned trilogy on Thomas Cromwell, was shortlisted for the award formerly known as the Orange Prize.

Blackadder star Richardson, chair of the judges, said: “I was very keen to keep a balanced approach about Hilary Mantel because of the ‘tall poppy syndrome’, particularly in Britain, ‘you’ve already had too much you can’t have any more. Go away and die now’, people being quite vitriolic in some cases...”

The 55-year-old Oscar-nominated actress said: “I think it’s disgusting. Because this competition is about excellence for writing...I hoped she would make it through, that we would be in agreement.”

Asked whether she thought ‘tall poppy syndrome’ was a particularly British trait, she said: “Yes I do. I think it’s hideous, absolutely hideous. It goes through every profession.... definitely in acting”.

Mantel, who sparked a furore when she described the Duchess of Cambridge as a “shop-window mannequin”, has previously said that she was “not going to apologise” for her wins, stating: “I’m not sorry, I’m happy and I shall make it my business to try to write more books that will be worth more prizes”.

The author is up against Zadie Smith for London-set NW and US writer Barbara Kingsolver for Flight Behaviour. Both writers could become the first to win the £30,000 prize twice after Kingsolver won with The Lacuna in 2010 and Smith scooped the gong for On Beauty in 2006.

The other writers shortlisted are Kate Atkinson for Life After Life, AM Homes for May We Be Forgiven and Maria Semple for Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

The winner of the prize, in its 18th year, will be announced on June 5.