Cork actress Fiona Shaw is to be one of the judges for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2006.
It was announced today that the judging panel will be chaired by biographer and academic Hermione Lee.
Shaw will join poet and novelist Simon Armitage, award-winning novelist Candia McWilliam and critic Anthony Quinn to decide on the Man Booker Prize winner 2006.
Shaw has most recently been seen on screen as Harry's wicked Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter series of films and is will next be seen in Brian De Palma's 'The Black Dahlia'.
She is, however, primarily a theatre actress and her work has been honoured with four Laurence Olivier Awards ('Electra', 'As You Like It', 'The Good Person of Sichaun' and 'Machinal'), three London Critics Awards ('Electra', 'The Good Person of Sichuan' and 'Hedda Gabler') and two London Evening Standard Awards ('Machinal' and 'Medea').
She has been presented with doctorates from the National University of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, where she was also named Honorary Professor of Drama.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, first awarded in 1969, aims to reward the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland.
Last year's winner was 'The Sea' by Irish author John Banville (Picador), described by the judges as "a masterly study of grief, memory and love recollected".
The longlist of titles under serious consideration for the prize will be announced in mid-August; the shortlist will be announced in mid-September.
The winner of the Man Booker Prize 2006 will be announced at an awards dinner on 10 October in London.
