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The Goldsmiths Prize
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2024 Goldsmiths Prize speculation
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Hugh, Active moderator
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Nov 13, 2023 06:00AM
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Completely agree. You beat me to it
There is already a Listopia. Which already had exactly three books on it of which those are two!https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
I am really looking forward to the Roffey. I have it on my wishlist and still debating about pre-ordering it. Hardback's a bit pricey.
Don’t Rachel Cusk and Ali Smith have new novels out … the Goldsmiths loves nothing more than re-shortlisting authors
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Don’t Rachel Cusk and Ali Smith have new novels out … the Goldsmiths loves nothing more than re-shortlisting authors"There are also coming out- of which I'm most excited about the first to see what she does next:
I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson
Passiontide by Monique Roffey
Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
Munichs by David Peace
Paul wrote: "Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Don’t Rachel Cusk and Ali Smith have new novels out … the Goldsmiths loves nothing more than re-shortlisting authors"There are also coming out- of which I'..."
Some of those featured on The Guardian's list of titles to look out for, and at least a couple of other prospects:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...
Alwynne wrote: "Some of those featured on The Guardian's list of titles to look out for""That's where I got most of them from :-)
But what did you see as other prospects on that list?
Judges will be announced Wednesday - any guesses?Two past shortlistees (Kate Briggs and Mona Arshi say)
Someone from the uni
And someone from the New Statesman?
Other than the names that is pretty well every judging panel. If the non NS, Goldsmith judges aren’t past shortlistees then they will be future shortlistees.
I wondered about Amy Arnold as a judge.
Paul wrote: "Judges will be announced Wednesday - any guesses?Two past shortlistees (Kate Briggs and Mona Arshi say)
Someone from the uni
And someone from the New Statesman?"
Sara Baume - shortlisted twice on her own
Abigail Shinn from Uni
Lola Seaton from New Statesman
Xiaolu Guo - who will presumably be shortlisted in future
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Xiaolu Guo - who will presumably be shortlisted in future"She already was once, in 2020
So any past judges who haven't made the list with books out this year - I think these all haven't made list before or after: Nell Stevens, Kamila Shamsie, Chris Power, Adam Mars-Jones, Elif Shafak, Naomi Wood, Bernardine Evaristo, Joanna Walsh, Francis Spufford, Geoff Dyer.
Naomi Wood has a book out but a story collection
Looking at the Goldsmith judges research interests, For Thy Great Pain would have probably made the list if she was a judge last year. Her one published book is on Conversion Narratives in the 15-16th Century.
Paul wrote: "Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Xiaolu Guo - who will presumably be shortlisted in future"She already was once, in 2020
So any past judges who haven't made the list with books out this y..."
Ah yes - one of those books I had, in a em BBCatrasing annual tradition, read some time pre shortlist but neglected to mention in speculation thread as it had not crossed my mind that it might be a Goldsmith book.
Any this year? Actually one book I have added to the list which looks interesting - and was recommended by last year's judge Helen Oyememi - is Practice by Rosalind Brownhttps://www.weidenfeldandnicolson.co....
UEA and Norfolk based author, originally from Cambridge, although her novel is set in the other place
Hard by a great forest (on the Observer Debut novels list)
A tax advisor for a Big 4 accounting firm is definitely a punchy occupation in literary fiction world - dedicated to how to stop firms and rich individuals paying any tax!
What about England Is Mine as a contender. I am only part way through and not sure about my overall views yet but extremely topical and includes Reditt, Twitter exchanges, on and offline gaming into the text effectively
Also was the creative part of a PhD thesis which is a common Goldsmith theme and has characters that want to go to Goldsmith to study.
Will revert when finished but I would say much as I thought the Orwell Prize had some very strong books it’s a shame books like this and Pity (see start of this thread) were missed there
I really liked England Is Mine, but I didn’t find it particularly mould-breaking. It felt more like a Nick Hornby take on far-right radicalisation (which is not a bad thing).Would have been great for the Orwell, and I could see it sneaking into the Booker.
To clarify: when I say ‘not a bad thing’ I mean the Nick Hornby part, not the far-right radicalisation part!
I guess I am thinking that if Crudo made it with a relatively superficial and artificial take on Twitter then why not this. Not sure I have seen online gaming incorporated like this and I liked the idea of going back to Dovstoevsky to look for ways to explore extremism via including social media and polyphony
Who is that by and can you add to the Listopia?
Nicolas Padamsee but on reflection (aka having read more of the book) I think Ben is probably correct.
Looks like a new Josipovici out - odd one as a novel plus a non fiction book in one volume. https://www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/in...
I see Paul has added to the Listopia already but Watermark by Sam Mills could be a contenderhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/art...
Yes I had seen that on X (there is still some value in the middle of the detritus) a couple of weeks back - looks fun, so I'd like to see it there.Any more contenders
We're missing the "book GY read a Netgalley of 8 months ago but forgot to mention" contender. But given you remember to mention them, perhaps that is Pity or Monumenta or Hard By a Great Forest
As well as the "on the Booker list book"- ??
The "it's not vaguely suitable but the author was previously a judge / shortlisted" - Ben Myers or Monique Roffey
Similar but "It's sort of original vs others but same sort of thing from this author" slot - again Kevin Barry or possibly (harsh) Rachel Cusk
And the "we can't have anyone from the Goldsmiths so we will have lots of books from authors from other London unis instead" book - not sure on that one as my prime candidate there, Ella Frears, was also at the Goldsmiths. Does the UEA count - Rosalind Brown
Here’s another on the Listopia and reviewed today in Guardian which may well be a contender - not least on grounds the author has featured before - but I hope isnthttps://www.theguardian.com/books/art...
Last time Self was listed his behaviour on the author panel was not great to witness.
Although given Sam Mills last book the combination of the two would be …. Interesting.
2025 speculation but the first ever winner Eimear McBride has a new book out in February which from the brief blurb rounds like a sequel to the shortlisted Lesser Bohemians.
Yes same characters it seems. (Can’t remember much of Little Bohemians so may need a reread)
The shortlist announcement is being made live next weekhttps://www.gold.ac.uk/calendar/?id=1...
I can’t make it though
I found this year's list of possible contenders a bit uninspiring compared to previous years, so hoping the judges will surprise me with a book/author I hadn't even considered.
The shortlist of this almost by definition should be the most surprising every year - instead it’s commonly the most predictable. I still like the prize though. It’s a shame they have decoupled the shortlist announcement from the annual Why The Novel Matters talks (this year Deborah Levy). Also a shame the New Statesman has really reduced its coverage of the prize.
It is fishing in a small pond though - in terms of innovative books, not least as there is a certain 'type' that seems to fit the mark (ideally one by a previously featured judge or author, associated with any London Uni except the Goldsmiths)
The small pond makes speculation hard. It seems like this prize has some of the stricter requirements of prizes we follow. Not only are there requirements for where the author is from and where/when the book is published, but the book must also be innovative - and there can't be a formal connection to Goldsmiths.
Though the from and where/when is pretty common to most prizes. This year I think it's only Goodlord that is ruled out by the Goldsmiths connection.
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Thanks Hugh, this is one of the lists I look forward to finding out about.
Pleased Cusk is there. Anyone get the Bookseller email?
Really Cusk again.
I can’t even see the tweet.
Mod
Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "I can’t even see the tweet."Thanks GY, as is probably obvious, I don't follow Twitter/X anymore because of the Elon Musk factor but nice to know I'm not missing out!
Yes, I got the email, and it was deleted. It was on their brief newsletter, and they mentioned that the longlist is dominated by indie press
Mohamed wrote: "Yes, I got the email, and it was deleted. It was on their brief newsletter, and they mentioned that the longlist is dominated by indie press"That's very encouraging.
And Cusk was the only author mentioned? Remember though that Bookseller considers Faber, Bloomsbury etc independents - so may not necessarily be the small presses that many here champion.
Recent years on that measure have been 5-6 independent presses.
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The Mookse and the Gripes
Books mentioned in this topic
How to Leave the House (other topics)Mrs. Jekyll (other topics)
Parasol Against the Axe (other topics)
Pity (other topics)
