Booker Vigilantes? Where's Wally the 'Poncey' Academic Judge?

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So, the Holy Oil has been handed down by the 2008 Man Booker 'holier than thou' judges for yet another year. In case your carrier pigeon hasn't arrived, The White Tiger, a debut novel by India's, Aravind Adiga (right) won £50,000 prize money with a lovely sales bonanza to come. Congratulations.

The novel is described as a ‘compelling, angry and darkly humorous’ book about a man’s journey from Indian village life to entrepreneurial success. One reviewer saw it as an ‘unadorned portrait’ of India seen ‘from the bottom of the heap'. American and UK versions of the story coming soon.

Tragic is unable to comment not having read the anointed one's offering yet. He only hopes that it is more engaging than last years unfinished winner, The Gathering, by Anne Enright. It proved the reading equivalent of kayaking up a treacle creek with a spoon for a paddle -excruciating. The Tragic has now suggested that the long suffering Mrs. Tragic 'enjoy' the book at least so she can let him know how it all ends-up- not that he's that interested.

Booker Judges From On High

What has caught Tragic's eye is the tendency of the Booker judges to adopt an increasingly condescending view of many others involved in Literary Award World. Last year, judge, Sir Howard Davies, barely stopped short of accusing reviewing authors of back-scratching, saying he was well aware that such practices went on, whilst calling for “more diversity in the sort of people who review novels”. He also had a stab at the media for not giving enough column inches to short listed Booker titles.

2008 Booker judge, author Louise Doughty (left ), was seemingly chosen by the PR team to run point this year. The target? Poor paranoid male academic literary judge trash - devoid of objectivity and only seeking to play 'bigger frontal lobe than thou Professor games' by seeking to impress the other boys in the department through archaic literary award choices that no-one without a Degree in English Lit. would interested in. Well, that's the Tragic's interpretation of the sub text.

The whole thing smacks of a PR 101 Module publicity strategy on the eve of the award winner announcement. No names were named, no awards cited, but the torch was lit. We assume, for the sake of discussion, that Ms. Doughty's comments have been reported accurately and that she has not been done a disservice. To quote, verbatim, from the article in Britain's Evening Standard:

ONE of this year's Man Booker Prize judges has criticised male academics who sit on literary panels, claiming they pick "highbrow" novels over readable ones.

Louise Doughty, author of five novels, launched her scathing attack ahead of the awards ceremony tonight. She said male academics should not be invited to judge the selection because they tried to pick titles to impress their colleagues.

"Academics always have their eye on their reputations and always have a vested interest to pick someone as literary and obscure as possible," she said. "I think academics are always looking over their shoulder."

She added that the men in particular tended to make judgements based on "how well the winning book reflected on them", rather than considering the best entry.

"I think women academics are a hell of a lot less poncey than male ones," she added.

As there are no male academics on this years Booker panel, Tragic can only assume that Ms. Doughty must be referring to other Literary Awards, or perhaps the past-historic in respect of the Booker. He will assume the former and investigate the latter further if interest ensues.

Current Booker suspect: Professor John Sutherland, Chair of the 2005 Booker Jury, caste the deciding vote for the winning book, John Banville's, The Sea

Where's That Poncey Wally Male Academic?

Just who are these poncey (how PC is that?) 'male academics' referred to? Which awards?

The Tragic's spider sense tells him that the media savvy PR Crew set-up a nameless straw men attack on the eve of the winning author announcement by trotting out a 'radical feminist personae' (either real or manufactured) to savage the easy target of 'wishy-washy, self serving male academics in their detached ivory towers'. He is surprised that the phrases 'Volvo driving' or 'Chardonnay drinkers' were not included. Creating an imaginary enemy to justify one's own existence and provide cohesion to a cause is a tactic that stretches back into the dawn of time. So is slinging the proverbial whilst presenting no hard facts.

As no names or awards were cited, Tragic thought a brief examination of so-called high-brow awards and their judging panels might assist Booker 's Literary Vigilantes help flush out some of these 'evil' male academics so that they can be rounded-up for the public burning (along with the piles of unread books that they have selected).

Please note that for this exercise the Galaxy British Awards and Costa are not included in the Tragic's yet to be defined definition of 'high-brow' ( and yes Tragic has read On Chesil Beach but still mispronounces it). The Orange is of course disqualified on grounds of being above reproach (Mrs. Tragic said so).

Which Award Nurtures Poncey Wally Academic?

To the books. A brief scan of the Tragic's bookshelf produced a sufficiency of both high and low-brow award winners (over-educated and parasitical reading matter versus mentally obese and lazy?) to embark on the exercise. The sample is not empirically adequate nor the methodology theoretically justifiable, but it will do. Sorry. Just techno-babble.

'Readable' appeared the most frequently bandied adjective in describing this years Booker Short list- so that must be a benchmark of sorts? This is opposed to books that are 'unreadable', for example a book about a scrupulous mortgage broker, which would perhaps have a very limited readership as defying all credibility. The following books mostly passed our 'readability' test at least. Mind you our standard varies according to whether it is monsoon season or not.

So, where are they?

John Llewellyn Rhys Prize- Is Poncey Wally There?

Both Mr. and Mrs. Tragic thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Hall's, insightful feminist page turner, Carhullan Army, the latest winner of the Booktrust administered John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.

Established in 1942, it may be the sort of 'establishment' prize that fits the bill.

Let's see.

The judges for the latest prize were Suzi Feay (Chair), Literary Editor of the Independent on Sunday, Peter Hobbs author, Michèle Roberts, author and poet. Stuffy academic types? Methinks not. Two women judges, an author and a literary editor, and a female winner.

That leaves poor old Peter Hobbs in the Library alone with the dagger of Academic decadence. But wait, whilst certainly a graduate of Oxford Uni, the young Mr. Hobbs (born 1973) , no stranger to leading award shortlists himself, is a working writer, not an academic; off the hook Hobbsy

Is Poncey Wally Academic in Edinburgh.

Could it be that Ms. Doughty, (or PR Ghost Writer's?), are alluding to the weighty James Tait Black Memorial Prize, established way back in 1911. After all the prize winners are chosen by the Professor of English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, who is assisted by PhD students in the shortlisting phase. (Tragic does not know the gender of the students but androgyny is often in evidenct among PhD students who lose all natural urges during their candidacy)

Promising suspect then? To compound suspicion the award is presented at the festival each year- onwards McTaggert.

The short list and eventual winners of this years James-Tait were selected by Professor Colin Nicholson( right) and Professor Laura Marcus.

The advisory committee for the awards included:

• Best-selling crime novelist Ian Rankin

• Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival Catherine Lockerbie

• Journalist and broadcaster James Naughtie

• Best-selling author Alexander McCall-Smith

It can't be that prize Ms. Doughty is referring too surely? The prizes were won this year by Rosalind Belben's, Our Horses in Egypt with Rosemary Hill the recipient of the biography prize for her first book, God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain.

Two women authors winning? A male and female Professor as final umpires. Admittedly if we take into consideration the advisory panel it means, four men to two women, but, add the winning authors and it evens out.

It may be for the academic as 'baddy' exercise Women Professors are considered as 'de-facto' males; hard to say really. Ms Doughty does say that women academics “.....are a hell of a lot less poncey than male ones”. Just a small amount of Ponce then?

At this stage Prof. Nicholson might be the only one that we need to bring grab in our SWAT raid for further profiling at this stage. Are there any provisions against suspect dodgy judges under the Anti-Terrorism Act?

Is Poncey Wally in Wales

Could it be the fairly new £60,000. Dylan Thomas Prize for Young Writers. This years shortlist does have four male authors to two women and there is a Professor of English, Kurt Heinzelman, from the University of Texas, on the judging panel. Other judges, according to the Dylan T. website are:

Andrew Davies- TV Writer, Chair
Simon Kelner- Editor in Chief The Independent
Menna Elfyn- Poet and Playwright
Peter Stead- Cultural Historian
Paul Watkins- Novelist

Oh dear, the Dylan T judging panel will certainly fail the Gender Balance O' Meter test, but the they don't appear too suspicious from their bio's.

Vignette from a proposed Literary Award Whodunnit: Senior Officer addressing his squad prior to town raid:

" Heinzelman , and probably Peter Stead, (cultural historian eh?), will need to come-in for further questioning. Check their hands for lack of callouses resulting from avoidance of hard labour. And Sarge, don't forget to check their book shelves for The Tenderness of Wolves, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, Ms. Doughty's novels or any past winners of the Galaxy British Prize or ill-fated populist US Quill awards titles, which may help in their defence. Just ignore any Orange winning titles, the department can do without the controversy".

Maybe Poncey Wally Academic is Stateside?

The USA and Canada have their Ivy League Literary Award Prizes too. How do they shape-up?

The Tragic found notable fiction winners of high-end US awards, such as The Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz, winner of both the Pulitzer and the USA's National Book Critics Circle, and Denis Johnson's US. National Award winner, Tree of Smoke, 'very readable' whilst still challenging. They were quite popular judging by sales too. He is a third of a way through the 2008 Pen/Faulkner winner, The Great Man by Kate Christensen, and his personal inner judging panel has yet to decide.

So what about the judging panels for the US Nationals, often a victim of the tall poppy syndrome from nitpickers in the USA as being “too elitist? A glance at the list of the judges doesn't seem to reveal too many suspects. Fourteen women and six male judges across the four categories- hardly an ' true blue' academic in sight.

In defence of Ms. Doughty/publicity machine,Tragic has always had his doubts about the Pulitzer prize's 'Masonic' process , suspecting that something weird goes on in that neck of the woods. Never having had, nor likely to get the handshake, twill mysterious ever-be. As for the Pen and the National Book Critics Circle winners and shorts, who cares, they are almost always brilliant (he said, displaying his bias).

Canada and Ireland?

The IMPAC Dublin International is a award worth a considerable amount of money that has a long filtering process, not unlike the fine malts favoured by Tragic when times are good.

Librarians from around the world nominate books for the prize which are sometimes acknowledged some years after publication. A panel of judges then whittles down the choice from long list, to shortlist to eventual winner.

The quality of the winning books is self-evident Tragic has read the latest winner by Canadian/Lebanese author Rawi Hage, De Niro's Game; it's a ripper as we say Down Under.

Out Stealing Horses, the 2006 winner, is in the pending pile but other past winners such as The Master by Colm Tóibín, 2005 The Known World by Edward P Jones, 2004 This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun and 2003, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk all gave great pleasure.

That said perhaps this is an award our Bookerites are aiming at? It appears laden with Academics on the panel of six truly international judges- never mind that they are all published authors themselves. Still, two of the judges are male academics and one woman a Professor. Maybe it's them? Dublin IMPAC Judges. What about the hundreds of librarians involved initially? Write in with your gender details and academic status please.

Finally, what about Canada's leading literary fiction award the Giller Prize? With notable exceptions, the winners often don't get get traction outside of the country. Perhaps it's an inherent fault in the unworthiness of male academic judges. This years learned judges? Margaret Atwood (enough said), Liberal MP Bob Rae, and Dublin based author Colm Tóibín. No smoking gun there either. Well well.

Crass Publicity or Paranoid? Or Who are the Real Wallies?

Whether the whole is an elaborate signal that the Man Booker is about to take a populist stance, an attempt to generate publicity in the midst of a financial meltdown, paranoia or plain illusion, an attack on an imaginary 'academic male' enemy is all a bit pathetic really. Whilst the Tragic will vigorously defend Ms. Doughty's right to vent her spleen, such intolerance is regrettable from a leading awards representative. The Sisterhood has a duty to speak-out where bias is truly perceived and it may that Tragic has not dug deep enough – but at this stage he strongly suspects it's a crock. Tragic wouldn't stoop to using the term 'poncey', himself, far too gender bendingly specifically rude, but he will pose the question where are the real Wallies?

If calculated, the strategy to 'sensationalise' in order to alert people to the Booker's day in the sun, does the Booker, nor it's sponsor, little service. The Prize may do well to look at it's own back yard before striking out in the future. Some recent Booker winners, The Gathering and John Banville's 2005 winner, The Sea, were frankly tedious, far too highbrow, and didn't appear to sell too well. Let's see how The White Tiger is received. After all it is about the books, right?

To take Ms. D's part, it is hard to resist the Spin Doctoring and perhaps she really has had a bad male academic perpetrated literary judgement moment, or maybe just got caught-up in the hype. So perhaps we can be forgiving if the whole thing is part of an elaborate annual publicity build-up; more theatre than real. Who will get-it next year remains to be seen. Publishers? Booksellers in a rush to digitalise? The authors themselves perhaps? Most likely we uniformed slush puppies who dwell in blogworld. After all , the recalcitrant literary academic types will be long gone by then.

For the record Tragic still loves the Booker. It adds colour, movement and generally a few good books a year to the library - now where is that Stephanie Myers novel?

Breaking News.......Exodus of Literary Academics

Meanwhile, in breaking news, it is rumoured that male academics involved in literary awards around the world are leaving their ivory towers in a mass exodus to an as yet unknown destination. Before the departure, barely noticed during recent fiscal and literary award meltdowns, their spokesperson, Bernard, a gently greying man clasping a tattered volume of Everyman in his hand, issued a quietly dignified plea for 'mutual respect'. As they fled many reportedly glanced back frequently over their shoulders, not, as suggested by Ms. Doughty in the 'Standard, to see which colleagues were in danger of overtaking them, but through fear that they might be invited to judge next year's Booker, possibly alongside Ms. Doughty.

Scum Bags. We had just bought a fresh set of torches as well. end

(Alleged Fleeing Academics below)