The Guardian has a story on an interesting literary award. The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award starts out with nominations from 162 libraries all over the world, which makes for a huge and eclectic longlist. The list of nominations includes everything under the sun. Or you can check out which libraries in which countries like which books. It’s sort of like a lesson in literary geography. Baudolino by Umberto Eco is apparently favored to win. Out of the three or four books on the list that I’ve read my favorite was probably The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster.
Interesting Award
The Nobel
Confirming speculation that it would be given to a woman, the 2004 Nobel Prize has been awarded to Elfriede Jelinek, an Austrian author who is probably unknown to most American readers. Her books are dark and often disturbing. She is best known for her book, The Piano Teacher, which was made into an award-winning film. Her other books available in English are: Women As Lovers, Lust, Wonderful, Wonderful Times
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More Pulitzer Speculation
Monday is Pulitzer day. You know who we expect to win, but PPrize.com, a site for book collectors, has compiled its own prediction list (via). It’s heavy on literary heavyweights, with Home by Marilynne Robinson, The Widows of Eastwick by John Updike, and Indignation by Philip Roth occupying the top three spots. I like our pick (as anointed by the Tournament of Books A Mercy by Toni Morrison), but I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to a book a bit more under the radar.Meanwhile, abebooks has posted their “Top 10 Forgotten Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novels” encompassing potential hidden gems like Now in November by Josephine Winslow Johnson and Honey in the Horn by H.L. Davis.
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