The Guardian opens up nominations for the 3rd annual Not the Booker Prize today. Clearly I am biased, but this now ranks among my favourite literary prizes for it’s sheer anarchic energy. The first year of the prize unleashed a frenzy of block voting in the longlist stage, and gave us Sam Jordison’s review of James Palumbo’s ‘Tomas‘, probably one of the greatest book reviews of all time. The 2010 prize resulted in a split decision and further controversy around the voting procedures when an actual recount was required to decide the shortlist! Wonderful fun.
So. This will be my third year attempting to strongarm a China Mieville book in to the shortlist. My failure to date proves the fair and just nature of SF fandom, who certainly could block vote any book they wished in to the top spot, but actually the votes Mieville has garnered each year have been predominantly from people who really have read and enjoyed his books. So I won’t be engaging in underhand tactics beyond suggesting that, should you so wish, you might click the link below and vote for your favourite book of the year. If that *happens* to be Embassytown then all the better.
Make your nominations for the Not the Booker Prize.
Related articles
- Man Booker prize 2011 longlist announced (guardian.co.uk)
- The Booker’s Dozen: The 2011 Booker Longlist (themillions.com)
- Man Booker Prize 2011: Alan Hollinghurst favourite to win (telegraph.co.uk)
Damien Walter 