Kirsty said: "I was extremely honoured to be asked to chair this year’s Orange Broadband Prize, if not a little daunted by the task.

"However, I do have a very strong line-up of judges, which should make for some lively debates."

The shortlist for the £30,000 prize will be unveiled in April and the winner announced in June.

The award was set up in 1996 to promote female authors.

Previous winners include Zadie Smith, Andrea Levy and Helen Dunmore.

The winner of the £10,000 Orange Broadband Award for New Writers will also be announced at the June ceremony. The judging panel will be chaired by Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights organisation Liberty.

Lily has heart murmur - Nov 27 2007
Lily Allen has revealed she lost weight because doctors discovered she had a heart murmur.

The 22-year-old singer sparked concern when she shed 19lbs and dropped from a size 12 to an eight in just six weeks.

But the Smile star said the weight came off when she was told the "scary" news that she had the heart condition.

She told Grazia magazine: "I found out I had a heart murmur about three months ago. I had switched doctors and just went for a routine check up, which is when they discovered I had this irregular murmur.

"I have been asthmatic all my life, but this was really quite scary."

Lily said: "I make sure I work out three times a week now, and I don’t hold back. It’s a hardcore routine and I’m usually in the gym for at least an hour-and-a-half.

"I used to love nothing more than sitting in front of the telly with two packets of Ginger Nuts and two bags of milk bottle sweets - and I’d devour the lot. But this heart thing has made me cut back on all that."

She said: "I really want to stress that I haven’t done this because I want to become some skinny minnie - I will never be like that."

A heart murmur is often harmless but can also indicate a hole in the heart or a heart valve problem.

Lily’s retirement plans - Nov 26 2007
Lily Allen is apparently only planning to make one more album -- so she can retire in the country.

The 22-year-old songstress - who is dating Chemical Brother Ed Simons, explained to The Sun she had had enough of the celebrity scene.

"I’d like to live in the country and have chickens and pigs," the newspaper quoted her as saying.

Talking about her life as a star, she explained: "It doesn’t leave time for what’s important, like having a family.

"I’m only going to do one more album. I just want to make some money - maybe I could retire at 25."

Earlier this year she splashed out on a new £600,000 home in Hackney.

"While I love handbags and shoes, I think it’s more important to have a place to call home," she said.

"Buying a house is like buying a dress in an overpriced vintage shop... except obviously there’s more people in the equation and buying a dress doesn’t come with a 25-year financial obligation!"

Lily to host TV networking-style show - Nov 9 2007
Pop singer Lily Allen has landed her own TV show.

Lily Allen And Friends will be broadcast on BBC Three next spring and will feature a mix of chat and music. Her fans will be at the heart of the programme.

The 22-year-old found fame after building up her fanbase on MySpace, and the new show will be based on a similar social networking format.

Viewers will be invited to become Lily’s virtual friends online and will then have a chance to shape the show - suggesting ideas, choosing bands to perform and putting questions to guests.