Booker Prize 2002

msbailey · 10-08-02, 04:21 PM

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.

benedict · 10-22-02, 04:29 PM

Quote:

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.

BoatDrinks · 10-22-02, 05:55 PM

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?

msbailey · 10-22-02, 06:20 PM

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?

BoatDrinks · 10-23-02, 10:16 AM

Quote:

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?

benedict · 10-23-02, 11:17 AM

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.

eXcentris · 10-23-02, 12:03 PM

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.

WillieTheShakes · 10-24-02, 01:36 PM

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...

WillieTheShakes · 10-24-02, 01:37 PM

Although, interestingly, none of the three Canadians on the shortlist was actually born in Canada.

eXcentris · 10-24-02, 01:55 PM

Well, 2 out of 3. Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa.

WillieTheShakes · 10-24-02, 05:10 PM

Atwood wasn't on the shortlist this year.
The Canadians were Yann Martel, Carol Shields and Rohinton Mistry.

Sierra Disc · 10-24-02, 05:32 PM

I'm quite interested in reading "Life Of Pi," it's got an interesting sounding plot.

eXcentris · 10-24-02, 05:49 PM

Quote:

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.

Alex15 · 10-29-02, 08:41 PM

Quote:

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!

10-08-02, 04:21 PM	#1
msbailey Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 193	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.

10-22-02, 05:55 PM	#3
BoatDrinks DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Arch City Posts: 8,210	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? __________________ now playing in St. Louis

10-22-02, 06:20 PM	#4
msbailey Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 193	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?

10-23-02, 11:17 AM	#6
benedict Administrator Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Outside of the U.S.A. Posts: 9,966	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.

10-23-02, 12:03 PM	#7
eXcentris DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 22,912	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.

10-24-02, 01:36 PM	#8
WillieTheShakes DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 1,057	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...

10-24-02, 01:37 PM	#9
WillieTheShakes DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 1,057	Although, interestingly, none of the three Canadians on the shortlist was actually born in Canada.

10-24-02, 01:55 PM	#10
eXcentris DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 22,912	Well, 2 out of 3. Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa.

10-24-02, 05:10 PM	#11
WillieTheShakes DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 1,057	Atwood wasn't on the shortlist this year. The Canadians were Yann Martel, Carol Shields and Rohinton Mistry.

10-24-02, 05:32 PM	#12
Sierra Disc DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: May 2000 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 5,559	I'm quite interested in reading "Life Of Pi," it's got an interesting sounding plot.