According to the Sunday Telegraph, Apple is looking to back the Orange Prize for Fiction, which recognizes novels written by women. Over 18 other companies have indicated interest in sponsoring the prize, but it appears that discussions with Apple are the most advanced.

Why is Apple, a major technology giant, so interested in a prize for books? While the company has a hold on digital music sales with its popular iTunes platform, it falls short in the e-book market with iBookstore. (Apple’s biggest e-book competitor, Amazon, has already dominated sales with its Kindle e-reader.)

Now that Apple is strengthening its literary footing with the iPad and the upcoming iPad Mini, maybe the company believes that by adding an orange to its basket, e-readers will be more likely to sample from its lonely iBookstore …

[More at TechRadar]

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