A woman called Fred who divorced her husband in protest at marriage and gave away her wedding presents is offering fellow artists £10,000.

Fred, who is in her 60s and doesn't use a surname, is offering the cash to anyone who produces work which best represents society's prejudice towards artists.

She is the former wife of Charles Webb, author of The Graduate which was later made into a hit film starring Dustin Hoffman.

Fred said: "I want to make creative people aware they are a legitimate minority in society.

"They make a spectacle of themselves because they feel they have to conform to a certain stereotype.

"I think it is a matter of the chicken and the egg, which comes first.

"Is it society's attitude towards the artist which makes the artist behave in a particular way or is the artist neurotic?

"I don't think they are. I think society puts demands on the artist which makes them act crazy because society doesn't appreciate the artist fairly."

Fred, who shaves her head daily, moved to Brighton with Mr Webb three years ago and lived in Newhaven before moving to Hove last year.

Her prize has been funded with money from the film rights of Webb's novel New Cardiff, shortly to be released as Hope Springs, starring Minnie Driver.

The couple first gained notoriety after Webb gave away the film rights to The Graduate for £14,000, forfeiting millions.

They later described their proudest moment as the time their youngest son ate a copy of the novel accompanied by cranberry sauce.

Their children were also taken out of school - the subject of their next novel Home School.

Artists can enter for Fred's award via her web site at www.creativeminority.org The winner will be chosen in November.