Apple Inc. is considering funding a prize for women’s fiction in the U.K. after mobile-phone operator Orange withdrew its sponsorship in May, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

The Cupertino, California-based company has had the “most advanced” talks of a number of potential sponsors with award organizers, the London newspaper said, citing people it didn’t identify. The sponsorship would probably result in a “marketing arrangement” involving Apple’s electronic books store, according to the report.

To contact the reporter on this story: Isaac Arnsdorf in London at iarnsdorf@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mike Harrison at mharrison5@bloomberg.net