Booker Prize Project
Jean Baird files her report on the 1982 Booker, which was won by Thomas Keanally’s Schindler’s List. She also has some choice remarks about Canada Reads.
Fall in Canada is prize season. In 2009, The Writers’ Trust of Canada changed its pattern to be part of the parade (previously the Trust awards were announced in the spring). So let’s do some comparison-shopping. The Writers’ Trust fiction prize short-list: Nicole Brossard (Susanne de Lotbiniere-Harwood, translator) Fences in Breathing Douglas CouplandGeneration A Annabel…
I think it’s now time to have a closer look at the Booker prize rules and see how they might be affecting the outcomes. Over the years the GG and Giller have had multiple—and different kinds of—winners and the prize administrators have changed the rules. That is also true of the Booker, which now has…
Jean Baird uploads 1979, the year when V.S. Naipaul should have won, but for a lot of poor reasons, didn’t.
Jean Baird does the 1978 Booker nominees, and talks to Paul Quarrington. George Bowering is watching television.
Delayed by the summer holidays, Jean Baird uploads her analysis of 1977. We’re going to move a little faster through the years from here.
Jean Baird posts 1976 in her Booker Prize Analysis
1975 I’ve been at this project now for months, reading the shortlisted and winning books. In order to meet the demands of a prize that requires reading 100 or more books, considering the time allotted, jurors must be reading 5 or more books a week. I’m not convinced that is possible—or desirable. How do judges…
Jean Baird continues her analysis of the Booker Prize nominees, winners and juries–and provides an overview of the “Prize Culture” Canadian publishing has created.
1973 It’s the 2008 award season in Canada as I write this—the GGs, Giller and The Writers’ Trust of Canada have been dolling out money for the past few weeks. Nino Ricci won the GG, Miriam Toews The Writers’ Trust Rogers Fiction prize, and Joseph Boyden the Giller. No agreement there. Only one writer appeared…