The Samuel Johnson prize: a judge's notes

Drawing up a longlist for the 2014 award has been more fun than I expected, revealing an amazing variety of brilliance

In pictures: A guide to the 2014 longlist

These days prizes sell books more than reviews, so booksellers tell me. They influence bookshop displays and undecided buyers. Now that longlists have come into fashion more writers can feel happy, at least for a few weeks, and each judge is sure of giving a boost to their particular favourites which may well include titles heartily disliked by some of their fellow judges.

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