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Alicia C. Shepard joined NPR in October 2007 for a two-year appointment as Ombudsman. In 2000, NPR was the first U.S. broadcast news organization to create an Ombudsman position.

In this role, Shepard serves as the public's representative, and is responsible for bringing transparency to journalism decision-making processes. She responds to queries and comments from listeners, writes a blog on NPR.org, appears on NPR programs to discuss listener concerns and provides guidance on journalism practices to NPR Member stations. She sees her job as explaining NPR to listeners, and listeners to NPR.

Before coming to NPR, Shepard spent four years teaching journalism and contributing to The New York Times, Washingtonian magazine, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The Newark Star Ledger and The Washington Post while working on a book. More>>

The latest odds released by William Hill have put Kennedy at 2-1 with her fifth novel Day, a bold story of a former RAF prisoner-of-war returning to Germany to play the part of a British prisoner of war in a film.

The second place favourite is the historian and biographer Simon Sebag Montefiore, with Young Stalin, at 3-1. Catherine O’Flynn, winner of the First Novel prize with her mystery story What Was Lost, shares third place with the poet Jean Sprackland for her collection, Tilt, at 4-1. And the children's book winner Ann Kelley follows closely with odds of 9-2 for her book The Bower Bird.

Kennedy was one of five category winners of the Costa Book Awards — previously known as the Whitbread prize. More>>