There are lots of people who have an interest in literary prizes. For authors it is an accolade, and in the case of the Booker prize at least a considerable financial prize fro winners. But one winner cannot benefit all authors, although all presumably benefit from increased book sales. As for winners, there are have been two stories of them have been raised by the press to he proportion of scandal. The 1990 prize went to A.S. Byatt (for Possession, a novel about literary and sexual passion and ownership relating to all the stakeholders of literature), who probably used the money in no more self-centred a manner than many other winners but ‘shocked’ (or so they said, by using the money to finance a swimming pool to be built in the garden of the family villa in France.
The shock had appeared deeper (and Byatt may have thought of that as she spoke and smiled wryly),when John Berger won the prize for his novel G, a profound novel and deep social critique, and gave a proportion of it to the London chapter of the Black Panthers.
The point of the protests against each author seemed to be that a prize for the ailing and often poor writers of literary books, as opposed to the mass production of ‘bestseller’ potboilers, ought to benefit all those writers who chose to write in innovative or highly worked and crafted ways that challenged rather than tickled readers. The myth of the poor writer, maintaining their soul in a garret in a Chatterton like some twentieth-century Chatterton is no longer a myth used much these days, regardless of its truth or otherwise at other times.
Authors who win the prize have, of course used it to finance their future writing. Some may secretly finance other writers. The point is that the £5000 prize is very little in terms of the money into which book production is turned and other interests are involved, including booksellers (increasingly monopolized by Waterstones’ (who own Blackwell’s too now) and Amazon) and publishers. As for booksellers, anecdotally (and in the evidence of going in the shops all over the UK myself) there are less and less times in which booksellers make a feature of Booker longlist, though they do of the shortlist, which suggests that profits are not made before important exclusions have been made by readers considered as ‘expert’ and appointed as panelists on the judging group. As for publishers, they always seemed to act swiftly if there recommended books were long-listed to ensure their availability, but this year there is evidence that no early publication of at least two of the long-listed novels occurred – and this is perhaps readable as the publisher (again a shrinking group now seemingly largely owned by Random House) deciding that it costs them more to disrupt production schedules already agreed than they might make in extra sales in bookshops.
The final group that might have an interest used to be called in the old days of a patrician literary culture ‘general readers’. These excluded ‘academic readers’ whose interests related to study and their own publications in long-form books, theses or short-form journalism. Journalists who are not strictly paid as academics sometimes stray into this category. Though I studied Literature at University I prefer to see myself as a ‘general reader’, or better still, just a reader. I actually enjoy collecting together long-listed books, reading them, using my blogs to learn from my reading and deepen if I can my own response. All this is a pleasure but it can be hard work too – but it keeps a retired brain alive. It always irked me however that some books were long-listed that were not available to the readers amongst whom I sit, although in the past publishers, especially independent ones of debut novelists, would race to publish earlier.
This year I have found every book I read on the longlist excellent in its way and even liked most, though got a great deal from all. But one feature of the list troubles me. Rachael Kushner’s Creation Lake was only published, with no effort for earlier production 11 days before the Shortlist is to be announced on Monday 16th September. Worse Richard Power’s Playground will not be published until the 27th September or so, 11 days after the shortlist is announced. Whether then Powers is shortlisted or not, this will be a major insult to readers not thought expert by publishers, for the book was available in the form it was judged to the judges a long time ago, to the press on whom talk is an embargo and selected readers chosen by the publishers and booksellers. Hence though I hope the book will not be shortlisted in protest at the publisher alone, I have one on order for Powers is a powerful writer. The judges however at Booker knew this situation before they chose the novel. Hence heir collusion in delay makes the insult to readers lesser than themselves (the inevitable apparent attitude) equally insulting. This situation is not know amendable but next year I hope only books that are published will be eligible for the long-list, let alone the short-list, if Powers gets short-listed.
With regard to the Forward Prize for poetry where there are less readers, though more than there used to be, then the issue is not so stark for writers who are used to being poorer, unless they turn to writing novels, memoirs or academia, or sometimes all three. And perhaps because of this major prizes like Forward make a fuss about getting readers for their long-lists and then shortlists. I have only just begun to chart by reading with Forward and this year, for that reason started with the shortlist – and that partly because I have tickets for the winner announcement at the Durham Book Festival (see my blog on this at this link)
All that aside here are my predictions / preferences.
I have followed the Booker longlist for a few years. Here is the link to the 2024 blog where I collate my response to my reading. I have edited a section down below to make it into a chart of my preferences, and, if I think bravely, predictions – though mine are often off the mark.
Here’s the 2024 Longlist. I think Lisa Allardice in The Guardian is correct about the importance of this longlist. Read her at this link. I am now just awaiting publication of the as-yet unpublished novels.
Order of preference for shortlist (1-6). With others ordered 7 upwards.
The 2024 longlist is:
To read blog
1
Tommy Orange (2024) Wandering Stars London, Harvill Secker.
I bought this on publication and read it immediately but didn’t keep it. It was a book I didn’t get rate as highly as his many fans but that may be my fault. No blog.
4
Charlotte Wood (2024) Stone Yard Development Sceptre
In such an exemplary list I do not mind if I get all that wrong, except for the Richard Powers (though it’s not his fault). But he doesn’t need the money either!.
Steve_Bamlett_blog 