The prize war

Five books have been nominated for the Swarna Pusthaka Award for 2012. Since the year 2007, Swarna Pusthaka Award has been the most talked about literary award in Sri Lanka, because of the half million rupees cash prize, and the massive publicity created by the organizers of the award, the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association.

Though it is claimed that Swarna Pusthaka is awarded to the 'Best' novel of the year, unfortunately many of the novels get disqualified at the start, because those novels had been author published. In our country an author publication is not just for vanity. Many new and unknown writers resort to author publications because their works are not considered by publishers. Not all novels from the publishers are considered, as the publishers submit only a few selected books for the Swarna Pusthaka Award. Unless the publisher had carefully evaluated their novels and entered their best and most deserving, a few really good books could get eliminated even before the first round.

The unpleasant war continues. Authors are accused of dishing out a novel a year targeting the award. Others are accused of getting critics and academics to condemn the novels of their rivals, or writing up unbelievably fantastic reviews. The judges get criticized, sometimes the attacks getting personal.

Fortunately, so far in our country, punters have not got in to the act, as in the U.K. and several other countries. For the major book awards, like the Man Booker, betting starts sometimes even before the long list is announced, and it continues till the award is made. They even bet on books that would not get into the short list.

While some critics consider Rs. 500,000 as too high a prize for a novel, even Nigeria awards $ 100,000 and the Nobel is $ 1,142,000. Out of the 108 Nobel awards for literature since 1901, European authors had bagged 80, while only 3 were awarded to Asia. Gurudev Tagore was considered an Anglo-Indian, perhaps because the Europeans could not accept a dark skinned Asian capable of such great writings.

The second largest prize in the literary world, Premio Planeta de Novela, is offered by the Spanish publisher, Groupa Planeta, which is about $ 759,000. It only gives an indication of how much the publisher would earn from the publicity. Two authors, Miguel Delibes and Ernesto Sabato, turned down the award. Sartre turned down the Nobel.

There are always complaints about the judges. Over the years, five members of the Swedish Academy, which runs the Nobel Award, have won the Nobel for literature. 2008 Man Booker was chaired by a politician, former cabinet minister, Michael Portillo. Last year Man Booker faced heavy criticism from the media, when a former chief of MI5, the British intelligence agency, Stella Remington, who was also a writer of spy-fiction, was appointed as chairperson of the selectors. She had said she wanted readers to "buy these books and read them, not buy them and admire them", counting readability over artistic achievement. In 1971 author and journaist Malcolm Muggeridge had withdrawn from the panel, because he was "nauseated and appalled" after reading most of the submissions.

Man Booker always add colour to their panel, with television actor Dan Stevens to judge 2012 books. In 2002 the comedian David Baddiel was appointed to the Man Booker. 1985 it was Joanna Lumley, actress, model and author, who got annoyed about the final decision and said, "The so-called bitchy world of acting was a Brownie's tea party compared with the piranha-infested waters of publishing".

About Literary awards, Julian Barnes said it all. When he was fourth time lucky in 2011 to win the Man Booker, he said, "Without sounding like a self-correcting politician... Booker has a tendency to drive people a bit mad. For writers, it tends to drive them mad with hope and greed and expectation. The best way to stay sane is to treat it like posh bingo. I am relieved, yes, this was the fourth time I'd been shortlisted. I didn't want to go to my grave and get a Beryl"

He was referring to the posthumous award for "Booker bridesmaid" Beryl Bainbridge, who was nominated five times for the Man Booker, but received only a special award posthumously. Robert McCrum in The Guardian called it "the antics of people for whom books are bingo. Prizes have little to do with literature in the long run, but I feel that the stunt cheapens her memory and takes seriously something for which she probably didn't give too hoots".

The 'most prestigious' National Book Award in USA announced the wrong title last year in their shortlist. Lauren Myracle's 'Shine' was named in the shortlist, instead of 'Chime' by Franny Billingsley. Then they included both names and a few days later forced Myracle to withdraw her book.

Author Richard Greener wrote in the New York Times, "...writing is not a competitive or comparative endeavor; ...Writing is an isolated, personal activity, the creative act of an individual not to be misattributed to or mistaken for any grouping of other people regardless of what they may share with the writer. ....Literary prizes may have value to those who market and sell books, but I am confident that within the heart and soul of most writers such prizes are not seen as any true measure of literary worth.

One author does not compete with another. Thus, an award based on such a standard adds nothing to the merit of one's work.:

Greener continued, "As writers, we would all do better to just write, say what we have to say and leave the judgment to the reader."

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