The Baileys Longlist 2015. And before I begin, I would like to wave at some brilliant, original, astonishing writers. I would like to wave at Susan Barker. Sarah Hall and Linda Grant. At Anna Smaill, at Claire Fuller and Kate Hamer, at Shelley Harris and Harriet Lane. At Carys Bray
So tomorrow the winner of the Goldsmith’s Prize will be announced. I didn’t set out to read the shortlist, but once I’d read the Man Booker and Green Carnation longlists, I only had two more books to read. Ali Smith’s How to be both was my favourite for the Man
I’m lucky enough to have an entirely imaginary Richard Flanagan (IRF) sitting at my kitchen table with an entirely imaginary journalist (IJ), and I’m witnessing the Post-Man Booker interview we’ve all been waiting for. IJ: So, Richard – can I call you Richard? – congratulations on winning the Man Booker
The 2014 Man Booker short list, in case you don’t already know, goes like this: Karen Joy Fowler We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Winner of the Not Published by Penguin Random House award; also: Best Use of a Review-Hampering Twist [NOTE: the following title is not eligible for the
So tomorrow the Man Booker shortlist is announced. I’ve read every word of every novel on it (and am very grateful to the publicists and agents who let me have proof copies of the titles yet to be published). This year’s long list attracted a great deal of attention for
Since the 2014 long list was announced on Wednesday, much has been said about its lack of diversity. Three women (Ali Smith, Siri Hustvedt, Karen Joy Fowler). One non-white writer (Neel Mukherjee). Nine white men. Sarah Churchwell, one of the judges, made the point that the judges are constrained by
So we know know that the Bailey’s Prize went, not entirely unexpectedly, to Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half Formed Thing. I loved that the prize went to a new novel that had difficulty finding a publisher. A Girl is a Half Formed Thing is a bleak, desperate novel
I’m very grateful to Rebecca Mascull for inviting me to join in this one. The idea is to select three novels – a dark chocolate novel, a milk chocolate novel and a white chocolate novel. I’ve really enjoyed thinking about this. Rebecca’s haunting and original novel The Visitors is out
So the Bailey’s Prize short list was announced last night. In terms of accuracy I fared very badly – only two of my wish list appeared on the short list (Americanah and Burial Rites), although if I’d gone for prediction, I’d have had a better strike rate. (Honestly.) The long
Twenty novels later, it’s time to write my wishlist for the Baileys’ Prize Shortlist. Reading the long list has been a wonderful experience and there are no books I would be surprised to see on the shortlist. There are two lists in my mind – the Predictions list and the