The Mookse and the Gripes discussion
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The Goldsmiths Prize
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2021 Goldsmiths Prize - speculation
This link may not work depending on your firewall (as Bookseller have I think stopped their helpful "Books in the Media" website and so the certificate is out of date) - but this is a list of recent reviews by one of the judges. https://booksinthemedia.thebookseller...
Based on this Sam Byers has a good chance, Max Porter very little - First Love (we discussed above)
She was also the reviewer who noted the Covinth connection with Second Place.
Couple of weeks away now from the shortlist, so bumping the Listopia and interested in any suggestions for eligible books here or on the Listopia:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
And in the spirit of my (rather accurate, if tongue in cheek) Booker predictions - here's some Goldsmiths predictions. Suggestions for this also appreciated:1. One book will surprinsingly miss out - it will then turn out the author once passed within 1 metre of the Goldsmiths University for two minutes and was pinged by the new Trackandtraceineligbleauthors app
2. Gumble's Yard and/or Neil will have read at least one of the books in ARC, but failed to mention it as a contender, largely as it didn't seem that innovative
3. There will be overlap with the Booker list, although not always the obvious book
4. The list will (unfortunately) lack ethnic diversity with more white Irish than BAME authors
5. Several of the authors featured will be past longlistees or past or future judges (hard to verify the last until some time passes but nailed on to happen)
6. We will debate whether one book is truly original when it is clearly in the style of another innovative book, possibly by the same author
7. The winner will likely not be the best book
The missed out despite everyone loving it Booker book was , as predicted, Assembly. And Assembly already seems likely to meet 1. as Natasha Brown did a brief creative writing course at the Goldsmiths
Second Place seems to be a pretty safe bet for the shortlist given that each of Cusk's last three novels made it.
Mod
https://twitter.com/GoldsmithsPrize/s...
Thanks for that Hugh. I have registered.
David wrote: "Second Place seems to be a pretty safe bet for the shortlist given that each of Cusk's last three novels made it."Agreed - and as one of the judges seems to like the book (and for example found the links to Corinth) - but that in essence is the issue of the Goldsmith - it really should have different novels and authors every time
The lecture sounds "interesting" "My Study Hates Your Study" - Lucy Ellmann will be talking about the relationship between science and the arts.
I have to say I have not always been that impressed with the author's views on science - it oddly seems to line her up with Trump a little too often.
This from the chair of judges seems promising to me as it seems to imply some real surprises - I think an ideal Goldsmith shortlist I would hope to have read very few of the books (the opposite of the Booker)"Some books I hadn’t and probably would never have heard of (barely reviewed, barely mentioned) that have completely beguiled me and I can’t wait to sing their praises"
That sounds intriguing. It has got a bit too predictable in recent years (if you had done his job we'd have picked every book the last 2 years!)
Is Seesaw eligible? If so, that needs to be on the radar.
I'd added to Women's Prize list (*) but hadn't to Goldsmiths.Of course Neil per rule 2 had you not mentioned it, it would have been bound to appear, but now you have .....
* as an aside, had an author on Twitter last week excited to see her book on the Women's Prize Listopia. Hope people realise it has no official standing
Who was that.
Variations by Juliet Jacques is a very interesting one. I suspect ruled out as publisher bills it as a story collection, but one could make a case it is a novel. Certainly hope to see it on the RoC which doesn't make the distinction.
I'm just hoping that Xstabeth was entered not Monument MakerI saw an interview this weekend with the author where he suggested Monument Maker needed to be re-read a few times to properly appreciate it. It's 912 pages....!
Of course Neil per rule 2 had you not mentioned it, it would have been bound to appear, but now you have .....Lose-lose for me. I actually debated with myself whether to post my comment for exactly that reason. But I wanted to highlight the book in support of David's comment.
If it doesn't make it I will tell Charles who to blame next time I see him
Issue with Seesaw may be availabilityNeeded to submit a proof by 26 March and final copy by 25 June.
For books to be published by 31 October - so proof is needed 7 months before publication potentially.
I'm sure several books miss out every year with prizes that have rules like this.
Good point - I hadn’t thought about that. It’s a shame because a rule like that must mean a lot of the most innovative works can’t be entered because they work on shorter timescales.
I suspect it is more an issue for small presses who once a book is ready to be published will publish it, whereas larger presses will sit on books to fit their publication schedule. That said I have never asked a small press if it is an issue.
Yes, that was my thinking. A lot of the really innovative stuff comes from the small presses and they often work to much shorter timescales so would be unable to enter.
Any last additions to the predictions?Albeit I can see in a way a good year would be one where there are no books from the listopia (assuming the books that are picked are worthy ones - one of our worst year's for prediction was the year the judges seemed to reinterpret the prize rules to be more Booker like)
A suggestion based on what I've read or heard about:Assembly
Checkout 19
Lean Fall Stand
A Shock
Sterling Karat Gold
The Tomb Guardians
Having said this, I very much hope to be surprised!
Thanks, David, for the continuing support.
That would be a great list although I have read 5 of them and part of me wants to discover new books!
I think they are all strong contenders That though would be 3 past shortlisted authors which even by Goldsmith-incest standards seem high
And not sure many fit the "Some books I hadn’t and probably would never have heard of (barely reviewed, barely mentioned) that have completely beguiled me and I can’t wait to sing their praises" comments of the chair.
Sorry if this has already been posted by John Self suggested the following (which has a lot of overlap with quite a few of the novels on which we have speculated and 4 with David's list)- Claire-Louise Bennett, Checkout 19
- Natasha Brown, Assembly
- Musa Okwonga, In the End, It Was All About Love
- Keith Ridgway, A Shock
- Sam Riviere, Dead Souls
- Isabel Waidner, Sterling Karat Gold
Worth saying again that as Paul points out Natasha Brown may not be eligible
I really hope to see her on some other lists if not
Others replying on the thread have mentioned Open Water
Little Scratch
My Phantoms
and (new to me) but suggested by our very own Declan ....
Florilegia by Anabel Dover
Is that on Twitter? Will have to have a look tonight and join in - did you post our Listopia?
John's list has a lot of overlap with mine, eligibility of Assembly aside. David's as well (other than Lean, Fall, Stand which I would not list).A Shock is the one I haven't got to.
I must admit I initially thought David meant ..... and a surprise book
by "A Shock"
It was only when I saw John Self also recommend it that I realised
Paul wrote: "Is that on Twitter? Will have to have a look tonight and join in - did you post our Listopia?"yes and no - its definitely not "my" listopia - I normally manage to sabotage it every year by not even mentioning 1 or even 2 books I have read and reviewed which then make the shortlist.
It's interesting that Second Place is absent from the rumors, particularly since Cusk's last three books have all been shortlisted.
Second Place is on my list - indeed would be near to the topSterling Karat Gold (my winner)
Checkout 19
Second Place
Tomb Guardians
Mrs Death Misses Death
Seesaw
Except I have a 2nd list I almost equally like which reads:
Little Scratch
Dead Souls
A Certain Slant of Light
This One Sky Day
Siphonophore
My Phantoms
And a 3rd that reads:
Ezra Slef
Luckenbooth
In The End It Was All About Love
Fox Fires
Diary of a Film
Variations
Any of those 18 would be very worthy shortlistees
That's assuming Assembly is ineligible in which case it must be there and (sorry Isabel) wins
In a way I'm hoping not to be surprised - as I'd love to see these get attention. Unless they really have dug up some hidden treasures which would be great.And I just hope Monument Maker doesn't make it - hopefully Xsabeth was entered instead (only one book allowed per author)
And my leftfield hidden treasure tip - which I haven't read - Whorl The Prudident Slip
I liked Luckenbooth, but is it a Goldsmith book?
It is a bit of a stretch (see also One Sky Day) but perhaps.
I haven’t had time to speculate at all this year (just moved into a new apartment, busy at work and all that usual stuff) but will tune in for the lecture tonight and expect to order books right after...
I am watching the lecture and love it already, just from the way she opened.
I can't seem to access it - im on the eventbrite main screenok managed! - there was a zoom link in a previous email
Interesting the anti-science speech/essay
Robert wrote: "I can't seem to access it - im on the eventbrite main screen"Did you get another email with a Zoom link in it - it seems a bit weird to me, but it's through that rather than eventbrite. (that's how it worked for me, anyway). The email was entited: Tonight's New Statesman / Goldsmiths Prize Lecture - Link to Join
Robert, I received the Zoom link over email earlier today.Edit: I see you found it, never mind!
She is basically the antithesis of Kazuo Ishiguro, who in the Klara and the Sun launch attributed part of polarisation to subjectivity, while Lucy is sick of objectivity, very interesting contrast
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The Mookse and the Gripes
Books mentioned in this topic
Variations (other topics)Siphonophore (other topics)
Assembly (other topics)
Assembly (other topics)
Alexandria (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Caleb Azumah Nelson (other topics)Nell Stevens (other topics)
Fred D'Aguiar (other topics)
Kamila Shamsie (other topics)
Riley writes about ordinary life with a mordant clarity that recalls the writing of Alice Munro and Denis Johnson. The dialogue is superb, yet you are aware of the gap between what is being said and what’s really going on. Like many female writers of her generation, she strains at the idea that women in fiction need to be likeable. Her characters are misfits, hard to place. Most of them are isolated, some are a bit mad. They often do things that make no sense. Yet these struggling individuals feel so agonisingly real you can’t look away.
The other review in the Times - presumably one was the Sunday Times - was a bit more snarky, although positive overall, and rather speaks to the 'is this that original'
Her first five books won breathless praise from critics and were shortlisted for the cleverest prizes. Even their curt, two-word titles are there to remind us that this is a woman who will never write one of those “The Unexpected Summer of Miss Molly Fevertree” type efforts. Riley’s dark little oeuvre ain’t broke, and My Phantoms won’t fix it.