2022 Booker Prize longlist discussion

[Robert]

So far this is the only one I disliked from the longlist

[Debra]

I thought I would get After Sappho since I chose Virginia Woolf for the author question. Perhaps I would have if I also selected "take me to a different time". I was indifferent to the time question, so I just picked one.

[WndyJW]

I chose Daisy Johnson as the author I would most like to recommend a book. I think I got the one book I will not be reading because I chose another time and that I would discuss the book with women I talk to, hence a historical book club choice.

[Laura]

I've been keeping an eye on the Southbank website to see when tickets would be released for the shortlist readings- any idea on when they'll be released? I haven't been to the readings since 2019 because of the pandemic, so I'm really excited to go this year!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

I had thought they might be released already. Seems odd the winner event is already on sale as normally when at foyles that was a very last minute event.

[Paul]

Cheltenham are selling tickets for their version (which is ususually attended by some but not all of the authors):

https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/l...

[Cindy]

I have to say that I am disappointed that Cheltenham are not offering any hybrid events. The Edinburgh virtual offerings have been quite wonderful.

[Paul]

Yes I guess I can see why festivals want to return to in person but I was hoping the virtual option would be here to stay.

[Alwynne]

I agree a hybrid model makes more sense to me and opens things up for audiences who wouldn't be able, for whatever reason, to attend in person.

[Emmeline]

I also miss the hybrid option and don't see why they are being removed.

[Paul]

Well I can see:

- it does cost money / take time to film, particularly if done well (e.g. so Q&A can be heard);
- it may stop people attending in person (and indeed 'post-Covid'* great to see people back in person)

But I do think it is a shame - and they could make a modest charge to cover costs.

* or rather in an endemic Covid world

[Emmeline]

Paul wrote: "Well I can see:

- it does cost money / take time to film, particularly if done well (e.g. so Q&A can be heard);
- it may stop people attending in person (and indeed 'post-Covid'* great to see peop..."

I can see those arguments, but this is a tendency I see in a lot of events, including home-grown ones, that a failure to have an online option really restricts who can attend in terms of mobility/availability. I think as someone with small children, I found Covid a bit refreshing in the sense that I could attend book clubs in the evenings all over the world. Now I get to read GY's notes (still good though!)

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Here to assist!

[Cindy]

Paul wrote: "Well I can see:

- it does cost money / take time to film, particularly if done well (e.g. so Q&A can be heard);
- it may stop people attending in person (and indeed 'post-Covid'* great to see peop..."

I am planning to donate to Edinburgh at the end to express my appreciation for the virtual offerings. Still much cheaper for me than attending as many events as I have already watched (let alone what is still to come) and well worth it. I think charging a small amount for virtual events would be quite fair and would more than cover their costs.

[WndyJW]

All the streamed events were a nice development. It’s easier on the environment and as Paul said they could charge a fee for online attendees and make events worldwide.

[Yacka]

I expect there will be the usual shortlist readings event at South Bank Centre in London before the prize announcement. There is not one listed yet. However, I contacted the publicity company of the prize and they mentioned that there will be further announcements of events. It is likely that the SBC event will be streamed.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Thanks so much for doing that - particularly contacting the publicity company.

[WndyJW]

Is SBC the Booker event with authors?

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Yes the shortlist readings at South Bank Centre.

[Di]

I've also enjoyed the Edinburgh virtual offerings and still have Anne Enright, Hernan Diaz and Douglas Stuart/ Val McDermid to look forward to this week! I've made a donation.
I think the audiences are quite different and I doubt many 'live' attendees are lost to online.
I can't always rustle up friends to come to events with me in London and I don't particularly enjoy the late night train journey home alone.

Like Emily I enjoyed all the online bookclubs during covid - still dip into a few even now!

[Lascosas]

Just finished the longlist, my twelfth. It is usually the only contemporary English language literature that I read during the year, so every year I start out not having heard of any of the books on the list, and read down the list from longest to shortest.

This is by far the most well curated Booker longlist I have read, with a consistently high quality of the novels. I dislike Nightcrawling, but that is a minor criticism to an otherwise excellent list. And it is the only time I thought multiple books deserved to win: The Colony, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, Treacle Walker and Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies.

[WndyJW]

I agree l Lascosas. This year’s list has restored my faith in the Booker. Even the books that are at the lower end of my ranking are good books.

I’ve enjoyed them all, even the few I criticized, so at this point my rankings will be based on which books I’m still thinking about days after finishing them.

I’m going to start at the beginning again with After Sappho and finish it, Nightcrawling should arrive Monday or Tuesday, and I’m making slow progress through Glory, which I think is very funny, but worry that it isn’t engaging enough to sustain 400 pages. I’ve liked the other books, so I’m keeping the faith with Glory.

[David]

Lascosas wrote: "This is by far the most well curated Booker longlist I have read, with a consistently high quality of the novels."

"well curated" is a good term for what makes this an excellent longlist.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Completely agree on the curation and the plethora of worthy winners (including your four picks).

[Danielle]

I agree as well. There are some really interesting titles on this year's list. I have enjoyed the range!

[Kathleen]

Donald Trump made an impact on this year's Booker longlist authors. Three of the last four Booker books I've read (Trees, Booth and Glory) mention him. From Glory:

"POTUS@bigbaboonoftheUS" and "Tweeting Baboon of the United States"

[Nadine in California]

Kathleen wrote: ""POTUS@bigbaboonoftheUS" and "Tweeting Baboon of the United States".

Thanks for sharing that, Kathleen. I didn't get far enough into Glory before DNF'ing to see that. I see in the news that he's called "FPOTUS" now, with F = Former. For the record, what I did read of Glory was wonderful, writing-wise, but long form satire rarely works for me. I may try it again for the sake of the writing, especially if it wins.

[Debra]

Nadine in California wrote: "Kathleen wrote: ""POTUS@bigbaboonoftheUS" and "Tweeting Baboon of the United States".

Thanks for sharing that, Kathleen. I didn't get far enough into Glory before DNF'ing to see that. I see in the..."

I had mixed feelings about the animal characters in the book, but the Tweeting Baboon reference made it totally worth it. :-)

[WndyJW]

Tweeting baboon was the only case of Bulawayo accurately describing a character. Remember Bill Mawr offered Trump 5 million dollars if Trump proved that he was not the son of orangutan.

[Robert]

That's an insult to the orangutan,

[Tracy]

Robert wrote: "That's an insult to the orangutan,"

Yes it is!
My son had a talk show at his college’s radio station in 2016, and they were trying to get candidates to come in and give interviews during the Iowa Caucus. They didn’t succeed, but he planned to ask if he could pet the guinea pig on FPOTUS’s head.

btw- I don’t think that F really stands for former..😂

[Scott]

Can someone tell me are predictions posted here or on the Rankings thread? Thanks.

[Mohamed]

Scott wrote: "Can someone tell me are predictions posted here or on the Rankings thread? Thanks."
Will you do the same list study as the longlist? that would be amazing!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

The rankings are mainly if not exclusively peoples own views and not predictions.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

I will start a separate shortlist predictions thread shortly.

[Scott]

Will you do the same list study as the longlist? that would be amazing!"

Looks like Hugh already has that in the works, Mohamed. Should be interesting.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Hugh’s will only cover Forum members I guess.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Yes, I was planning to do what we did the last couple of years and collate the predictions of the forum members.

I don't have a problem in principle with extending to other public lists, but there is a limit on how much time I want to spend searching, particularly anything posted via videos or podcasts.

[WndyJW]

In TFG F definitely does not mean former!

Is this the first time Hugh’s and Paul’s average calculations were so in line? The only difference between the two styles is Treacle Walker and After Sappho.

I’m fairly confident in the first five books I guessed would make the shortlist. I have no real guess for the 6th.

[Paul]

WndyJW wrote: "In TFG F definitely does not mean former!

Is this the first time Hugh’s and Paul’s average calculations were so in line? The only difference between the two styles is Treacle Walker and After Sapp..."

Once there are lots of votes they converge. Difference tends to be early on - and also particularly where some people have read lots of books and others very few, or indeed some books are read by lots and some by few.

[WndyJW]

I guess I never paid close attention. You know-math.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Not sure if this is a replacement for South Bank Centre or additional

https://www.waterstones.com/events/wa...

But an event on the Friday before the announcement

Not great for those not in London as late on Friday and no mention of streaming; and not great for me as I will be working in Singapore that week.

[Laura]

Oh no, I hope this isn't the only event. I'm going to hold out until the shortlist announcement, and if the Southbank website haven't listed anything by then, I'll book a ticket for this one instead. It's very odd that the Southbank website haven't listed anything other than the winner event by now.

[Cindy]

This page from the Booker website seems to have all the events before and after the announcement of the winner:

https://thebookerprizes.com/events-wh...

[Danielle]

I have decided to stop where I am (8 read, currently reading my 9th, Trust), and wait to see which books end up on the short list. Of those I have not yet read, I am most looking forward to reading After Sappho and Seven Moons, but both have been tough for me to get copies of here in southern Spain--I did finally receive After Sappho this week, but am still working on Seven Moons. I am not as driven to read Nightcrawling or Booth, but will if they make it to the next round. Overall, this has been such a delicious reading process this year. I have found something to like in almost all of the books on the list, which I read in a short, intense back-to-back sweep, and I am quite excited to see which will make it to the next stage.

[Jamie]

I closed the last Booker 2022 longlisted book this evening and it has been one hell of a ride. I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed every book but I certainly got something from each of the titles. This is my second year to read the long list and it was so very different this year for a variety of reasons but namely where last year the storytelling was front and centre, this year it was all about language and this years authors fantastic ways to shape and redefine the way a story is told. I loved every minute of my time, and loved reading the comments in this group as I was reading the list. Any six would make a great shortlist but in my opinion there is only one winner here! I can’t wait for next year already.

[Joy D]

I just finished the entire longlist as well. Overall, I found these books excellent reading - thought provoking, interestingly written, and (mostly) immersive reading experiences. Unlike previous years, where there was always at least one mystifying choice, I can understand why all these books were chosen for the longlist (even the one I didn't care for all that much). I only give 5-stars to books I can count among my favorites, and there were 3 on this list, which I think is a personal record.

[David]

I completely agree with the last several comments. This was an unusually strong longlist from top to bottom.

Jamie, which book do you see as the winner?

[Hugh, Active moderator]

I agree, probably the strongest longlist since 2017 - hope we aren't going to get a similar cull of the group favourites!

[Scott]

Just curious, Hugh, which titles are you referring to? My biggest disappointments occurred the year before in 2016 when McGuire's "The North Water" didn't make the shortlist and when Madeline Thien's "Do Not Say We Have Nothing" lost.