2021 Goldsmiths Prize General Discussion

[Sam]

I had read two, had Assembly and A Shock on my hard drive and so ordered the last two as hard copies from Book Depository. First hard copy books I have ordered in a couple years. Looks like I am in for the whole list this year.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Per New Statesman yesterday

Shortlist readings 20 October
Winner announcement 10 November

Shortlist readings are on line which seems a massive shame to me - not sure why the Womens Prize and Booker can manage in person

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Online suits me far better!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Both is ideal and I would think possible.

There was such a buzz at the Womens prize event though and the authors all remarked in how much it meant to meet readers and read their books to a live audience.

[Paul]

Ah so my inside tip of 20th October this afternoon was old news then!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Yes I think we need better inside info than that Paul. Maybe some RoC leaks ..

[WndyJW]

I’ve lost interest in finishing the Booker list now. I sort of knew I’d probably not read Bewilderment, even though I bought a copy, but I will read A Passage North one day.

I loved Ducks, Newburyport and I liked most of Things Are Against Us, so I’m going to tell myself Ms Ellmann was being a provocateur and doesn’t really believe that all things bad come from science. How could any intelligent person entertain that thought?!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I have not actually heard or read the lecture but generally I find she seems to hold her beliefs sincerely and many others in the Arts agree - I saw for example a previous RoC judge (David Collard) who remains very involved in small press and experimental fiction. tweeting “Tonight's dazzling @Goldsmiths polemic by Lucy Ellmann should be on every school syllabus.”

[Robert]

WndyJW wrote: "I’ve lost interest in finishing the Booker list now. I sort of knew I’d probably not read Bewilderment, even though I bought a copy, but I will read A Passage North one day.

I loved Ducks, Newbury..."

There's nothing wrong in having a unpopular opinion but it's how one says it. The fact that (ha!) Ellmann is purposely blunt about her views (instead of padding them with academic talk) and speaks in didactic short sentences and uses rhetoric means that the listener gets angry in the process. I admire her even when I don't agree with her. I thought her Goldsmiths talk was on form.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Location of Goldsmith - London
Location of New Statesman - London

I may have this wrong but I think ............

3 of 4 judges live in London
5 of 6 authors live in London
3 of the 6 authors are alumni of a South London university near to Goldsmith
4 of the 6 books set in London
5 of the 5 shorlisted publishers based in London

Population of London as percentage of UK and Ireland - less than 15%

Time to level up literature

[Ruth]

@Gumble's Yard I couldn't agree with you more.

[Paul]

I only know the background of one of the authors but they came to London from Germany, I believe (from interviews) because it was a cosmopolitan town where they as a queer person could feel accepted. The Brexit that the rest of England and Wales imposed on London has endangered that sense of acceptance.

Another of the authors is from Ireland originally. Another from Birmingham and Jamaica. Why do they feel more at home in London? (I don't know but I have my suspicions)

It's not like they've picked 5 authors from London backgrounds. It's that the 5 authors from diverse backgrounds who they've picked have chosen to live in London rather than the rest of the UK/Ireland.

[Paul]

But the Gordon Burn Prize is where you should be looking I suspect. It's run by New Writing North a charity which "supports writing and reading in the North of England."

The eligibility doesn't require that (and indeed extends to US writers) but I would suspect/hope it makes them deliberately less London centric.

And having posted on the A Shock thread that perhaps Luckenbooth (set in Scotland) would have been a better choice than A Shock, they indeed picked Luckenbooth.

Also: a novel by someone who lives in Norwich (but who set his book in London I think); an Irish novel/memoir albeit that was eligible last year; a novel set on an oil rig/Aberdeen (but from an author who moved during the book from London to Aberdeen to have an affair with a married oil worker).

And they longlisted Musa Okwonga's novel whose a refutation to my London = accepting point, as he moved to Berlin which he finds much more accommodating.

Also Mrs Death Misses Death - which would have been a better choice than This One Sky Day. Except that one is set in London, written by someone who lives in London, but from a a Jamaican/Irish background so takes us back to the Goldsmiths point.

And it also longlisted A River Called Time (set in alternative London), Diary of a Film (ineligible as author studied at Goldsmiths University), Open Water (set in South London), My Phantoms (author born in London, moved to Manchester, now I think back in London). So they ended up quite London-centric as well despite trying otherwise.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

RoC tries to mix it up also with publishers like Tramp, Stinging Fly, Blue Moose, D Wannabe, Galley Beggar and by having events outside London (shortlist announcements have been in Norwich and Manchester)

They even bought in Neil in as a judge one year :-)

[Paul]

D Wannabe indeed are a great publisher and they via the RoC Prize will for decades to come be remembered for introducing the world to (checks notes) an author now twice shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize and apparently part of the London cartel.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

On-line shortlist readings now available to book - free of charge but I think you need to register to get an invite

https://twitter.com/GoldsmithsPrize/s...

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-go...

[Cindy]

I also received that and registered. It is free. A 2-hour event.

[WndyJW]

Thank you, Gumble’s Yard!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I am wondering if one reason this is not Live is they are worried at the prospect of some form of protest - Goldsmiths is currently making big cutbacks including to their English/Creative Writing Departments and the Chair of Judges (who is moving to a different University) and at least one author have been tweeting about it in the context of the prize

[Neil]

I've just finished the last book on the list for me.

It's a shame this year because my Goldsmiths reading has been very much a "game of two halves". Prior to the shortlist announcement, I read 3 books that then appeared on the list. I loved all three of those (Assembly, Sterling Karat Gold and Checkout 19). Then, after the announcement, I read, or at least tried to read, the other 3. This second half of the game was rather disappointing, although I know I am in a minority when I say that.

I went into little scratch with really high expectations but felt disappointed at the end. I thought A Shock was interesting but it didn't grab my attention like the three I read before the announcement. And I'm afraid I abandoned This One Sky Day.

Shame. But I'm really glad others are getting more out of the books than I did.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

It is a bit of a game of two halves for me but with a difference to the books (swap Little Scratch for SKG)

[WndyJW]

At this point I’ve only read half, but I enjoyed the first chapter of A Shock. I expect to like Checkout 19. I’m holding out hope that Popisho (quicker title to type) will click this time around.

[Paul]

Well it was a game of 5/6ths for me as I’d read 5. But those 5 were all exceptional. This One Sky Day is particularly great and passes the test of justifying its length, which is a rare feat.

[WndyJW]

My copy of Checkout 19 arrived which means I can finally take the very important stack of nominated books photo to put on Instagram and Twitter!

I’d like to see a photo of the book barn GY has curated.

[LindaJ^]

WndyJW wrote: "At this point I’ve only read half, but I enjoyed the first chapter of A Shock. I expect to like Checkout 19. I’m holding out hope that Popisho (quicker title to type) will click this time around."

I liked the first chapter of A Shock as well, found the second just okay, and hated the third. I've not picked it up in 3 days.

[WndyJW]

I read the first paragraph of the second chapter so many times I finally put it down and am reading The Hours Before Dawn now that Cleveland has Fall weather.

I will get back to A Shock, I just wanted some Halloween reading.

[WndyJW]

Did anyone watch the Goldsmith readings today or this evening for those in the UK? I registered, but the work I was doing today required more focus so I couldn’t have it on.

[Cindy]

Wendy I thought those were on Wednesday. I am registered for a Goldsmiths events then.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Yes Wednesday.

[WndyJW]

I got an email yesterday from eventbrite yesterday telling me it was happening soon, I misunderstood soon to be within the hour. Clearly, I didn’t read carefully. I’m glad I mentioned it though because I might be able to catch it tomorrow.

[Stephen]

Does anyone know the format of tonight's event and if the event can be watched at a later date. I now have a work commitment from 8pm- 9pm (UK time) but can join for the first hour. Thanks.

[WndyJW]

I just watched the reading. I particularly enjoyed Rebecca Watson’s reading and think Little Scratch might be best experienced as an audio book.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

OK controversial/provocative view ..........

As these things go (shortlist readings) I thought that was quite poor or perhaps poorly chaired.

I think they work better when each author briefly introduces their book, reads and then answers a few short questions from the chair. As it was they all read in turn with very limited or no introduction and then there were no individual questions but straight to audience questions (which themselves had a few awkward silences).

Further I think the chair did not do a good job of ensuring people had equal chances to speak (I am sure many of us have chaired panels at conferences in our jobs and the key roles are to gently shut down those who speak too much and draw in all the members - for example by directly asking the quieter members a question which you know they would be interested to answer).

Natasha Brown in particular gave a brief reading (whereas others read for much longer) and was then largely marginalised in the discussion - particularly ironical given some of the discussions that were taking place about how black voices are marginalised in publishing!

Anyway as I say deliberately provocative and its maybe my negative reaction is influenced because I missed being able to chat to the authors (plus a few other publishing figures) informally before and after which is what makes the Goldsmiths readings such a good event normally.

[Paul]

The audio book is great (although must admit I only listened to half of it, I really can’t get in to the format or indeed find convenient occasions to listen to them vs. reading).

(As an aside when I started typing “must” on this post, I incorrectly entered “mi….” and my iphone autocorrect suggested “Misterhobgoblin”!)

[Neil]

I agree about little scratch - it felt a different book when read out loud. Although I suspect only the author could read it out loud properly.

And I agree about the event in general. I was a bit disappointed although prior commitments meant I only listened to the first hour and a bit.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I think you only missed 5 minutes Neil

[Neil]

Ok - not too bad then. I would really like to have heard more from Natasha Brown.

[Henk]

No fully agreed, it was very uneven in exposure for the various authors, how ever much I enjoyed Rebecca Watson her reading and answers

[Cindy]

I also agree that the event was not nearly as good as I had hoped. I enjoyed watching the authors read from their works (and was a little surprised by what Leone Ross chose to read, but not in a bad way), but I thought the format did not really work in a Zoom setting and it would have been much more effective if there had been particular questions prepared in advance for each author.

I have seen Natasha Brown in other book events. She appears to be naturally shy and retiring and answers questions as briefly as possible.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Neil wrote: "I only listened to the first hour and a bit"
It finished a few minutes later so you didn't miss much

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "
As these things go (shortlist readings) I thought that was quite poor or perhaps poorly chaired. "
I was going to say exactly the same thing. He only involved all of them in the first question, and didn't attempt to draw out Natasha Brown's thoughts on anything else at all.

[Paul]

I only heard the answers to the “did you set out to right an innovative” book question which seemed to work quite well and Natasha Brown’s answer rather speaks to her quality as a writer. And there the host did get everyone to answer.

I guess it went wrong after that.

Who was the host? The normal chap from the NS is very good.

[WndyJW]

I agree, GY. Ms. Brown seemed almost uncomfortable. Rebecca Watson and Leone Ross seemed very confident.

That’s my problem too, Paul, I don’t really have a need for audio books and they sometimes cost more than books.

[Paul]

Yes in UK with Amazon Kindle copy of Little Scratch 5 pounds, book 9 pounds, audiobook 15 pounds.

[WndyJW]

Right!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Mine was free

[Paul]

ARCs work well like that. On the other hand a book that to appreciate well needs both a book and audio book for almost 3 times the cost of a normal book is a negative for me (and this isn’t in the Girl Is class)

[WndyJW]

Little Scratch ebook is $13, paperback $14, hardcover $16, audiobook $21.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Paul wrote: "Yes in UK with Amazon Kindle copy of Little Scratch 5 pounds, book 9 pounds, audiobook 15 pounds."

You omitted Play tickets £20 - the most expensive part of all and also I suspect essential to really get the work

[David]

And then there will be little scratch: the movie

[Paul]

Who would play the title character?

Incidentally I see the play comes with a “strong language” warning. One of the reasons I had to abandon the audiobook was that I had forgotten how much swearing there is and or really wasn’t great with a 9 year old in the house (who proudly tells me she knows 2 swear words but not some of those on the audio)

(And no, I don’t listen on headphones - can’t get on with the in-ear ones as they always fall out, and I spent my working life with the large ones clamped on my head so no desire to do that out of work)