Book Talk A Place To Discuss Books and Audiobooks

Booker Prize 2002

Old 10-08-02, 04:21 PM
  #1  
Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Booker Prize 2002

Anyone have any thoughts on this year's Booker Prize nominees? The winner will be announced in a couple of weeks, but I have to say I'm not really familiar with the nominees this year. Of all the books on the short list, I've heard of one.

I am very disappointed that Jamie O'Neill's "At Swim, Two Boys" was not even on the long list of nominees. I thought this was a spectacular book.
Old 10-22-02, 04:29 PM
  #2  
Mod Emeritus
 
benedict's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Outside of the U.S.A.
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
[I haven't read any of them]

Yann Martel's surreal fable Life of Pi has won the prestigious Booker Prize.
Martel had been viewed as the bookmakers favourite for his tale of a 16-year-old boy shipwrecked and stuck in a boat with a tiger called Richard Parker.

The winner was announced at a ceremony at the British Museum in London on Tuesday night, screened on BBC Two and BBC Four.

Betting had been suspended after a "dummy" web page was put online, which appeared to reveal the winner as Martell.

Organisers of the prize said this had been an internal mistake and denied the winner was already known, explaining the judges would not make their final decision until the day of the ceremony.

The other nominees were:

  • Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
  • Unless by Carol Shields
  • The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor
  • Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
  • Dirt Music by Tim Winton


  • The five judges, chaired by Professor Lisa Jardine, had to choose the winner of the £50,000 prize, having whittled the shortlist down from 130 at the start of the judging process.

    Irish author William Trevor had been second favourite to win the title with William Hill giving odds of 2-1.

    Sarah Waters, currently enjoying fame following the television adaptation of her lesbian costume drama Tipping the Velvet, had been tipped as third favourite at 4-1.

    The judging panel comprises comedian and author David Baddiel, novelist Russell Celyn Jones, analytical psychologist Sally Vickers and Erica Wagner, literary editor of The Times.

    The 2001 Booker Prize was won by Australian author Peter Carey for his novel True History of the Kelly Gang.

    Books that are shortlisted benefit enormously from the publicity as sales rocket.

    Booksellers Waterstones reports that Water's Fingersmith is out in front in terms of sales, closely followed by Trevor's The Story of Lucy Gault and Martel's Life of Pi.

    Previous Booker winners also have an enduring appeal, beyond the year it may have won.

    Waterstones compiled a top 10 list of sales of previous winners for the past year with Margaret Atwood's 2000 winner The Blind Assassin coming out top, followed by Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang.

    Arundhati Roy's God Of Small Things, a winner in 1997, is in third place, while at number four is Iris Murdoch's winning novel from 24 years ago, The Sea, The Sea.
    Old 10-22-02, 05:55 PM
      #3  
    DVD Talk Hall of Fame
     
    Join Date: Jan 2000
    Location: Arch City
    Posts: 8,210
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    I've read the winners of the past 4 or 5 years, but sadly I've not any of the nominees this year.

    I know the prize was founded by Booker McConnell but does anyone know how they came to decide what citizenship is eligible? I think you must be a citizen of the UK, S Africa, or Pakistan?
    Old 10-22-02, 06:20 PM
      #4  
    Member
    Thread Starter
     
    Join Date: Jul 2002
    Posts: 193
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    To be eligible for the Booker Prize, you have to be a resident of the Commonwealth which includes:

    Antigua and Barbuda
    Australia
    Bangladesh
    Barbados
    Belize
    Botswana
    Brunei Darussalam
    Cameroon
    Canada
    Cyprus
    Dominica
    Fiji Islands
    Ghana
    Grenada
    Guyana
    India
    Jamaica
    Kenya
    Kiribati
    Lesotho
    Malawi
    Malaysia
    Maldives
    Malta
    Mauritius
    Mozambique
    Namibia
    Nauru
    New Zealand
    Nigeria
    Pakistan
    Papua New Guinea
    Samoa
    Seychelles
    Sierra Leone
    Singapore
    Solomon Islands
    South Africa
    Sri Lanka
    St Kitts and Nevis
    St Lucia
    St Vincent and the Grenadines
    Swaziland
    The Bahamas
    The Gambia
    Tonga
    Trinidad and Tobago
    Tuvalu
    Uganda
    United Kingdom
    United Republic of Tanzania
    Vanuatu
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    but this year, they have made the US eligible as well.

    How's that for more information than you wanted?
    Old 10-23-02, 10:16 AM
      #5  
    DVD Talk Hall of Fame
     
    Join Date: Jan 2000
    Location: Arch City
    Posts: 8,210
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    Originally posted by msbailey
    but this year, they have made the US eligible as well.
    Doesn't this defeat the purpose of why the prize was founded?
    Old 10-23-02, 11:17 AM
      #6  
    Mod Emeritus
     
    benedict's Avatar
     
    Join Date: Oct 1999
    Location: Outside of the U.S.A.
    Posts: 10,674
    Likes: 0
    Received 1 Like on 1 Post
    BoatDrinks I think they got a new sponsor which mandated the inclusion of US writers.

    Personally, I too think it is dumb: I am sure that there are plenty of US-oriented prizes and not so many Commonwealth ones.
    Old 10-23-02, 12:03 PM
      #7  
    DVD Talk Hero
     
    Join Date: Jan 2000
    Location: Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 36,290
    Received 1,240 Likes on 825 Posts
    Cool! Only the 3rd ever Canadian to win this award and a local boy to boot. What's odd is that he's french speaking. I guess his english ain't too shabby.
    Old 10-24-02, 01:36 PM
      #8  
    DVD Talk Special Edition
     
    Join Date: Jun 2001
    Posts: 1,057
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    The idea of including US writers has been floated, but it hasn't been mandated yet (and certainly not in time for this year's prize). I think I'm with the majority in hoping that it doesn't happen - there are more than enough American prizes and international prizes open to Americans...
    Let's face it, if they wanted to be in the running for the Booker so badly, they should have thought of that before they started throwing that perfectly good tea in Boston Harbour...
    Old 10-24-02, 01:37 PM
      #9  
    DVD Talk Special Edition
     
    Join Date: Jun 2001
    Posts: 1,057
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    Although, interestingly, none of the three Canadians on the shortlist was actually born in Canada.
    Old 10-24-02, 01:55 PM
      #10  
    DVD Talk Hero
     
    Join Date: Jan 2000
    Location: Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 36,290
    Received 1,240 Likes on 825 Posts
    Well, 2 out of 3. Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa.
    Old 10-24-02, 05:10 PM
      #11  
    DVD Talk Special Edition
     
    Join Date: Jun 2001
    Posts: 1,057
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    Atwood wasn't on the shortlist this year.
    The Canadians were Yann Martel, Carol Shields and Rohinton Mistry.
    Old 10-24-02, 05:32 PM
      #12  
    DVD Talk Limited Edition
     
    The Antipodean's Avatar
     
    Join Date: May 2000
    Location: Auckland, New Zealand
    Posts: 6,636
    Received 164 Likes on 117 Posts
    I'm quite interested in reading "Life Of Pi," it's got an interesting sounding plot.
    Old 10-24-02, 05:49 PM
      #13  
    DVD Talk Hero
     
    Join Date: Jan 2000
    Location: Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 36,290
    Received 1,240 Likes on 825 Posts
    Originally posted by WillieTheShakes
    Atwood wasn't on the shortlist this year.
    The Canadians were Yann Martel, Carol Shields and Rohinton Mistry.
    Sorry, misread your post. I thought you were referring to the 3 Canadians that had won the Award.
    Old 10-29-02, 08:41 PM
      #14  
    Cool New Member
     
    Join Date: Apr 2002
    Posts: 31
    Likes: 0
    Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
    Originally posted by Sierra Disc
    I'm quite interested in reading "Life Of Pi," it's got an interesting sounding plot.
    I have read Life of Pi, and it's my favourite book ever, hands down.

    Run as fast as possible to the nearest book store and read it!


    Posting Rules
    You may not post new threads
    You may not post replies
    You may not post attachments
    You may not edit your posts

    BB code is On
    Smilies are On
    [IMG] code is On
    HTML code is On
    Trackbacks are Off
    Pingbacks are Off
    Refbacks are Off


    Thread Tools
    Search this Thread

    Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

    Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.