Casper, I'm sure even Lily would be able to spell 'today' correctly.

Ledwith, Edinburgh,

After the year Lilly Allen has had, I think the last thing on her mind is being an Orange Prize judge.

She has also already pulled out of a summer music festival - her main area of work - because of other commitments (mainly her new album). It shouldn't be a surprise that she feels unable to devote the time to judging a large number of books. In fact, credit to her for pulling out, when the easier course of action would have been to do the job half heartedly and blag it for some spurious intellectual credibility.

But why all the fuss about the Orange Prize anyway? How many of these books will be remembered by anyone in a year's time? How many recent Booker prize winners can most people name?

Roy Pinney, Weston Super Mare,

Mary, Marseille, I have 3 issues:
1. Losing a chid, sad as it so obviously is, does not mean one cannot criticise this talentless daughter-of-somebody for aspects that have nothing to do with her pregnancy. She is 100% fake, purporting to be some discovery made on the internet from a hard up council estate, when she was brought up by rich parents, went to Bedales, and her record company arranged the whole internet thing as a marketing campaign.

2. Drawing attention to a prize on the basis of idiocy and ignorance is NOT to be applauded. Her inclusion would have no effect on "getting kids interested in books".

3. What makes you think this brain-empty woman (have you actually heard her trying to conduct a conversation on that appalling chat show of hers?) could appreciate "a broad spectrum of styles and themes"?

She is a talentless, ignorant, dreadful fraud.

Laura Roberts, London, UK

Er, writing a three minute repetitive song is a little different to writing a 300 page landscape of characters and themes.

Authors who spend years crafting lengthy and complex stories should not have to be judged by a young woman with no novel or fiction writing background.

Everyone has his or her opinion, true, but would you have anyone and everyone judging a serious literary competition?

I mean, would a car mechanic judge an F1 competition?

Will Axe, london, uk

I see 3 issues here :
1. It truly disgusts me that people want to knock a young girl that has suffered so badly in recent times.
2. So maybe she was selected as a token "young people's icon", so what ? If it draws attention to the prize and encourages kids to take more of an interest in books then the decision to include her on the panel should have been applauded.
3. It would seem to me that a judge should generally be capable of appreciating a broad spectrum of styles and themes, as such the narrow-minded people that shun Lily Allen would obviously make very poor judges themselves.

Mary, Marseille,

I don't think that I have ever heard a lily Allen song, but I have seen her on a television chat show, and she was intelligent, articulate, and entertaining.

Obviously these are not appropriate qualities for the quango that selects Orange judges.

J Laflin, Bicknoller,

I was amused by this story untill I noticed that the prize is awarded in part, on originality and accessibility. This is no disqulification of the ladies invitation to judge, for her song writing and sucess indicates a fair grasp of both. Why take this so seriously ?
Their prize,their rules.

robert everitt, wolverhampton,

Jolly nice picture though.

Mark, camberley, surrey

"Whenever you see me you say that you want me back
And I tell you it don't mean jack, no it don't mean jack"

Next Poet Laureate if you ask me.

Sean, London,

'Kirsty Lang..insisted that...critics who had been disparaging of [Lily Allen] were “being snobby and elitist”.'

Poor Kirsty - she doesn't get it: without snobbery and elitism (read high aspiration), there is no quality.

John Stitch, London,

Competitors probably demanded the ejection of Lily Allen. If they had won, their endorsement by Lily Allen might have debased their literary currency. Miss Lang should give up on those so last century excuses of 'snobbism and elitism'.
If a prize is to be given for literary excellence by its nature it is 'elitist'

jd, London,

I don't know the Lily Allen timeline but I suspect none of those mitigating factors prevented her from launching a show on BBC3, working for New Look, or kept her out of the newspapers so it's perhaps more a question of priorities and motivation.

Jon, North West, UK

I cant say whats going on in Lily Allens life but her selection as a judge in the first place speaks volumes.
The Orange prize will never be seen as a heavyweight prize if you get lightweight judges (Lily Allen - how many more better than her can you find on Youtube?). Who will be selected to replace her? Scooby-do? Bungle from Rainbow (Im that old)? I bet serious women writers couldnt wait to be judged by Lily Allen. JK Rowling and the Bronte sisters really missed out.
Ive nothing against Lily but she represents everything the Orange Prize is meant to eradicate. Talent should go rewarded and pulp should be passed by.
Women still have a tougher time then men in nearly all aspects of today. Im not sure that the Orange prize shall overcome this or inspire women to turn to writing, unless of course they see someone like Lily Allen as a role model.
Dont bother sending your polished literary works to publishers - think up some cheap and catchy words then put them on Youtube instead.

Jack Sprat, Bristol, UK

Oh God, give the girl a break. She had a miscarriage, her boyfriend left her, and she dyed her hair blonde. I think she's allowed a little slack.

I mean, yes of COURSE she was included as a judge to try and make the Orange Prize more hip and yoof-friendly and sexy, and to maybe try and get people Lily's age interested in reading books rather than playing Playstations.

With the greatest of respect to the remaining Orange judges, Lily isn't a great "wordsmith". Writing song lyrics to sing over the top of your faux-Caribbean music isn't quite the same as writing a novel, is it? (or should I say, "innit"?).

I'm sure her perspective would have been just as valid as anyone else, but whether she could've coped with the punishing schedule of reading 100 books and going to judging meetings with women twice her age is another story.

It's another sad example of a young person with talent being shepherded by a pushy agent into being a multi-media celeb. Give 'er a break!

Jay, London,

I'm not sure that writing trite little pop songs qualifies her as a "wordsmith". Or maybe in toady's dumbed down Britain it does!

Casper Slides, London,