Such is the conundrum faced by the judges of the UK's Guardian First Book Award with books from all genres eligible.
The Short list, announced on 31st October, consists of a super -mix. Those mangling are:
Alex Ross, The Rest Is Noise (non-fiction- criticism/history)
Owen Matthews Stalin's Children (non-fiction - memoir/history)
Ross Raisin, God's Own Country (fiction)
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole (fiction)
Mohammed Hanif, A Case of Exploding Mangoes (fiction)
(Details of Short listed books at Literary Awards UK)
Out at long list stage went; The Outcast , the only work of fiction to get ditched; the short story collection, Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan; the poetry candidate; Sunday at the Skin Launderette , by Kathryn Simmonds, Me Cheeta: the Autobiography; and the travelogue, Empires of the Indus by Alice Albinia.
One hundred and seventy books were submitted for the pre-long list stage, goodness knows how many genres and their off-spring were represented.
Fiction Rules
Fiction always rules when it comes to brass tacks, right? Not with Guardian First Book award. Since it's quest for the 'best new literary talent' emerged from the Guardian Fiction award in 1999, it's been a veritable genre storm:
2007 Winner Dinaw Mengestu , Children of the Revolution (Novel)
2006 Winner Yiyun Li, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (Novel)
2005 Winner Alexander Masters, Stuart: A Life Backwards (Non- Fiction. Memoir/Biography )
2004 Winner Armand Marie Leroi, Mutants: On the Form, Varieties and Errors of Human Body
(Non-fiction - science)
2003 Winner Robert Macfarlane, Mountains of the Mind (Non-fiction - Historical/memoir)
2002 Winner Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything Is Illuminated (Novel)
2001 Winner Chris Ware, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, (Graphic novel - Fiction?)
2000 Winner Zadie Smith, White Teeth ( Novel)
1999 Winner Philip Gourevitch, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With
Our Families (NF- history/politics)
A judicious mix between fiction and the universe of non-fiction, with all of it's multiple sub genres. Poor old poetry has yet to win gold. As best as I can tell it's made the short list but once out of forty three works I could track since the awards' birth in 1999. Almost every other genre has been elevated- though some of my categorisations might be a bit dodgy.
So, who gets to choose between the aardvarks and angels?
In the Blue Stocking Corner
This 2008 panel includes the novelist Roddy Doyle; broadcaster and novelist Francine Stock; poet Daljit Nagra (longlisted for the award in 2007); historian David Kynaston ; novelist and co-founder of the Orange prize Kate Mosse; and Guardian deputy editor Katharine Viner. Claire Armitstead, the Guardian's literary editor, is chairing the panel.
Novelists 3, Poets 1, Historian (non-fiction) 1. Watching out for sponsors interests 1.
Clair Armistead, who inherited the 'once was fiction only' award, just two weeks into her then new job back in 1999, brings a finely honed impartial generalist literary skill to bear (useful in the unlikely event that she needs to caste a deciding vote).
Good gender balance with Matriarch of the Orange, Kate Mosse, ensuring a fair crack of the representative whip. Whoops. No women on the short list. Possibly counter psychology from the Orange Women only sympathisers after recent attacks on it's gender exclusivity? There again, given the undoubted objectivity of the Guardian process, it seems that this year, the men were just- well- better. With a guy certain to win in 2008, the gender ratio of winners since 1999 will be 7 men to 2 women. Funny old world.
The poet and historian are now out numbered. The poet has nothing obvious left to champion- the historian two works to fight for. This is not to say that specialists are not capable of cross-genre-isation, indeed it appears a prerequisite in this case.
In the Keep the Red Flag Flying Here Corner
Making the selection process more interesting, democratic and probably ludicrously more complicated is that six Waterstones (an English Book Store chain) readers' groups are involved. Stuart Broom of Waterstones, is representing their views on the judging panel.
I assume each reading group has one vote, just giving them the edge over the appointed panel if they get organised. How many members there are in each readers groups and how their processes are unfolding, boggles the mind, though no doubt much red wine has been spilt on the Axminster during selection.
People's Choice versus The Literati Judges
The dichotomy between People's Choice and Literati dominated panels is quite delicious. Pure People's Choice Awards, seldom agree with the books selected by learned panels and vis versa. This is particularly evident with Children's Choice awards versus judged awards. The books children really like, almost never coincide with the ones picked by the Children's Literature guru's such as the Newbery Medal in the USA.
I can attest to this with four children seven and under. My Darlings, despite vociferous book appetites, seldom get excited about the 'award winning' books that Daddy enthuses about. My highly literate wife, enjoys about half of the so-called leading adult award winners that come into the house. Such is subjectivity- bless it.
A quick scan of the top fifty best adult sellers, in almost any genre, generally turns up a mere whiff of High Brow Award winners. There are notable exceptions of course such as, Pultizer Prize Winners, The Road and the Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Cormac McCarthy and Junot Diaz respectively.
So-called populist award winners generally fare much better in sales ie: Galaxy British Awards, Sainsbury's Popular Fiction winner, The Memory Keeper's Daughter or Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, winner of a number of Booksellers awards.
So, is it possible to be all things to all people and not get caught-up in Bloomsbury Square with your literary trousers down? Discounting any Googlies in reference to the ill-fated populist Quill Book Awards in the USA (RIP), the answer is yes, no, and let them eat aardvark.
Clever Guardianites
Whilst the process may seem convoluted and the genre deluge challenging, it makes perfect sense. Quite a cunning ploy to ensure prosperity and prestige in the increasingly competitive Literary Award World Sector. Or more kindly, it strikes a good balance between maintaining gravitas whilst pandering to the masses and maintaining economic viability. It saves a fortune on having to sort through many different genre long lists. It appears inclusive rather than indecisive and is a nice fit with the paper's other literary award for the ankle biters. Not bad for a ten grand investment plus on-costs .
Then, there is nothing like creating a community of committed stakeholders in the blogosphere to defend process and outcomes. They no doubt feel 'elevated' in their own right by being placed in the company of an esteemed judging panel, whilst the appointed panel can feel supported by vested ginger groups. Any attack on the process would be met with a barrage of outrage from the hoards actually involved in the process- smart PR.
The approach serves to deflect the criticisms that both Popular Choice Awards attract from the Literati and that the Literati judges attract from almost every body at some time or another. Sweet.
The involvement of a giant Book Store chain doesn't hurt with regard to the Literary Award Economy either. Good for marketing. A win win. Throw in the fact that Guardian's demographic is probably epitomised by the Awards large judging community, then you have an almost perfect middle-class pseudo-intelligentsia literary storm. Yes, I am a Guardian subscriber myself- or at least I was until benevolent capitalism turned ugly recently.
The fact that the Guardian itself has a very aggressive (in a warm caring fuzzy hard-headed feet on the ground in difficult times sort of way) book retailing operation itself, doesn't rate a mention. No connection between promoting an award and making a bit of dosh. It's all about the art Matilda.
As a long-time Guardian reader I have no doubts that the whole process is political correct and symbiotic. Everyone knows that if only we could get organised that a counter-revolutionary group of highly co-operative Guardianites could solve the world's problem in a trice. If only we could get past the first memorandum of understanding and an agreed meeting time, place and draft agenda.
Checking the Blood Lines
In case the judges are short on genre knowledge, it's nice to have prior literary precedents to refer to should the proverbial hit the fan - helpful for a selected work to have a bit of blue blood. The judges already have the advantage that all except Owen Matthews Stalin's Children (to the best of my knowledge ) have been listed, or already, won other major literary prizes. This will partly legitimate their choices from the mish-mash of genres to which they may have had little exposure. To wit:
* 2008 Winner National Book Critics Circle - Criticism Award (USA
* 2008 Shortlist BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize (Non-fiction Award UK)
* 2008 Finalist Pulitzer (USA) - General Non-fiction
Ross Raisin, God's Own Country (fiction)
* 2008 Winner Betty Thrask Award (UK) (one of three)
*2008. Currently shortlisted Dylan Thomas Prize (UK) -
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole (fiction)
* 2008 Man Booker Shortlist
* 2008 Finalist Ned Kelly Crime Awards (Australia)
Mohammed Hanif, A Case of Exploding Mangoes (fiction)
* 2008 Man Booker Long list
No particular gripe in this respect, far less derivative than recent long list the of the new Australia-Asia Literary Award. Once a first book, always a first book, until the current cycle of First Book awards ends that is.
Interestingly, last year's Guardian winner Dinaw Mengestu's, Children of the Revolution- published in the USA as The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, is currently short listed for this years the under 30's Dylan Thomas Prize - it's season will soon close.
There may be some nominations that I have missed. Despite reporting on over 200 Literary Prizes having a whole heap of genres gathered in the same spot is both disconcerting and familiar- heady stuff.
The Final Judgement
Whether I read fiction, poetry, science, criticism, crime a travelogue or whatever, depends entirely on head space. If I am to pass judgement on a work then I measure it's qualitative aspects against other works from the genre using yardsticks such as character, plot, theme/statement/ style, exposition, argument, description, narration, originality etc. To make comparisons between a collection of poems, a work of fiction and a book about the Bridge over the River Kwai, seems like a, well you know, one too far. To make a judgement at all then would a purely emotive response. Here endeth all categorisation. A perfect fit our new post-post modern world.
I do not envy the judges their role in picking a winner, perhaps they just throw darts at book covers on the wall in the end . I could not pick the best from so many specialised genres it would be like saying whether the aardvark tasted better than the apple, or the angel was best at catching termites.
Have to go my now. My wife has just brought me a slice of her aardvark and apple angel cake and a cup of earl grey, chamomile and vodka tea. I am going to sit back and enjoy them with my current read,
Stalin's Mangoes: The Rest is a Fraction of God by Mustaffa Becks.
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