Granta 81: Best of Young British Novelists, 2003

Granta: The Magazine of New Writing #81

by Ian Jack (Editor)

In 1983 Granta magazine set out to identify the 20 best novelists under 40 in Britain. This list included Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie. In 1993 Granta chose again, and among the selected works presented were those by Kazuo Ishiguro, Jeanette Winterson, and Hanif Kureishi. In 1995 Granta published its Best of Young American Novelists issue — including Jonathan Franzen long before he penned The Corrections, Lorrie Moore before Birds of America had taken off, as well as other now well-known names like Edwidge Danticat and Jeffrey Eugenides. Contributors to the first two volumes in the series included six Booker Award winners and nine recipients of the Whitbread Award. Now, Granta is poised to present the best of young British novelists for the third time. Guaranteed to provide scintillating reading, this issue features new work by the 20 selected young writers, giving the clearest picture yet of an exciting new generation.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Journal

350 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

Ian Jack is a British journalist and writer who has edited the Independent on Sunday and the literary magazine Granta and now writes regularly for The Guardian.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me sane in the sands of Iraq. Thank you Granta 81!

[Brriimmaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granta - 81

Sarah Waters - HELEN AND JULIA - 2.5/5

Monica Ali - DINNER WITH DR AZAD 3.5/5

Andrew O'Hagan - GAS, BOYS, GAS - 4.5/5

Dan Rhodes - AT THE VILLA COCKROFT - 3.5/5

Rachel Seiffert - FIELD STUDY - 3.5/5

Toby Litt - THE HARE - 3/5

Rachel Cusk - AFTER CARAVAGGIO'S SACRIFICE OF ISAAC - 2.5/5

Alan Warner - THE COSTA POOL BUMS - 5/5

Nicola Barker - THE BALANCE - 4/5

David Mitchell - THE JANUARY MAN - 4.5/5

Susan Elderkin - THE CLANGERS 3/5

Stephen Gill - POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN 4/5

Peter Ho Davies - LEADING MEN - 4/5

A. L. Kennedy - ROOM 536 - 3/5

Ben Rice - LOOK AT ME, I'M BEAUTIFUL! 4.5/5

David Peace - HERE WE GO - 3.5/5

Hari Kunzru - LILA.EXE 3.5/5

Philip Hensher - IN TIME OF WAR - 4/5

Robert McLiam Wilson - THE DREAMED 3/5

Zadie Smith - MARTHA, MARTHA - 3.5/5

Adam Thirlwell - THE CYRILLIC ALPHABET - 3/5

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictably (at least as far as I'm concerned), Zadie Smith's Martha, Martha was the best story in this issue; head and shoulders above most of the others and an entire body and a pair of stilts above some of them (for example, Sarah Waters'Helen and Julia which I singled out for derision in a previous update). Hari Kunzru's LILA.EXE is showing its age now and proving that writing convincingly and timelessly about modern culture is one of the hardest things to do. Philip Hensher's In Time of War has a convincing atmosphere that drew me in and, finally, Adam Thirlwell's The Cyrillic Alphabet was worthwhile. Seven out of 20 ain't bad.

[Frida A · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The following stories were 4 or 4.5 stars individually:
-Helen & Julia by Sarah Waters
-Diner with Dr. Azad by Monica Ali
-At the Villa Cockcoft by Dan Rhodes
-The Costa pool Bums by Alan Warner
-The January Man by David Mitchell
-The Clangers by Susan Elderkin
-Leading Men by Peter Ho Davis
-Look at me, I'm beautiful! By Ben Rice
-The Dreamed by Robert McLiam Wilson
-Martha, Martha by Zadie Smith

Granted, that's half the stories, but the other half were either mid or total miss for me.

[laurentiu]

0

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite book first appeared as a short story and i am a nerd big enough to read it

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion this, Granta's third selection of Young British Novelists isn't up to the (admittedly very high) standard set by the 1983 and 1993 collections. Compared to those, this is more uneven.

That said, there is still some fantastic writing on show here, but "At The Villa Cockroft" by Dan Rhodes, an extract from his novel Timoleon Vieta Come Home: A Sentimental Journey is the clear standout piece. It is brilliant - laugh out loud funny as well as compelling and I have added that book to my reading list.

Some of the writing here was a pretentious for my taste, especially The Hare by Toby Litt and The Balance by Nicola Barker but it did get better towards the back of the book. Other than the Rhodes extract I enjoyed Look At Me, I'm Beautiful! by Ben Rice and In Time Of War by Robert McLiam Wilson.

[Ram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished reading Granta 81 series, Best of Young British Novelists 2003, a collection of short stories from writers resident in Britain and under the age of 40. Some of the writers have already become famous like Monica Ali, Hari Kunzru and Zadie Smith. I liked "The Costa Pool Bums" by Alan Warner the best, a hilarious piece. It may be a little old edition, but with Granta, you could take your own time to read and savour it.

[MacDara Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine compendium of stories from some of Britain's most promising writers.