Margaret Atwood, Bernadine Evaristo, Ian McEwan, Hilary Mantel. These are just a few names we associate with literary greatness, and what do they have in common? They are all winners of the Booker Prize.
Awards like these set the standard for writers around the world, it is the prize to win and will guarantee you a spot among the literary legends. The aforementioned writers also demonstrate the huge scope of genre and style which we’re accustomed to in the twenty first century. And it’s approaching that time of year again when another writer will be added to the exclusive list of winners.
With the BAFTAs and the Oscars out of the way, it is time for book lovers to take centre stage as we approach the literary world’s awards season.
Why do we need book awards?
Just as an athlete dedicates their entire life to preparing for competitions in order to win medals, writers, too, deserve a way of receiving praise that extends beyond the occasional BookTok review. Although I personally never choose a book based on its silverware, I appreciate the potential that it gives new writers to break into the industry.
There are certain prizes established for this very purpose; The Betty Trask Prize and The McKitterick Prize give debut novelists a chance to get their name out there. We also now have a far bigger range of prizes on offer, for example the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is new this year and is designed to promote “excellence in writing, robust research, original narrative voices”. The literary world is a fierce one, and without the opportunity that these awards give authors to get their voices heard it could become an all too exclusive one.
However, for me there is also a concern that these prizes deny authors the possibility to write with as much freedom as they deserve to. If you won a prize for one novel, then the chances are that you will stick to that particular style for fear of losing what it was that made your name in the industry. This fear of losing could therefore stunt an author’s growth and, like for so many sports people, take away from the joy that made you start in the first place.
Awards in any format cannot escape being competitive and therefore literary prizes are perhaps not so innocent as they first appeared.
Is Judgement Fair?
One of the most beautiful things about literature is that it really has no boundaries. Literary culture in the real world isn’t bound by the same mark schemes that we have been confined to in school, namely metaphors, similes and/or personification.
Contrary to this, when it comes down to literary prizes the lack of objectivity does become a small issue. Whether it be the internationally renowned Booker Prize or the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction, these awards can only be based on the subjective opinion of chosen panellists.
To make the process anymore structured, however, would risk taking away what is so special about reading: the potential for individuality and complete freedom of the mind.
a world without literary awards…
If we were to remove book awards, where would we be? Well, I would argue that we already have plenty of alternatives. Book Tok, for example, reviews in magazines, friend recommendations, and Goodreads are all perfect places for finding a new book. The modern world is a dangerously competitive one, it will always be suggesting ways we can compare ourselves or compare others, so maybe it’s time we block this out.
Essentially, a book is a piece of art and if it doesn’t work for you then that’s okay. Reading is about personal taste as so whilst these awards are designed to guide you, it’s also okay to ignore them completely. Block out the noise, grab a cuppa, and get reading.