Booker & Nobel Prizes for Literature

Just a quick note to updated my earlier post on the Man Booker Prize. It was awarded on Monday and the winner is.....Irish writer John Banville for The Sea. Here is the Press release.
Update - Banville's book is apparently not an easy read. The choice has been praised for not giving into populist demands but rather it is being seen as returning the prize to a work of literature as art. Others, however, state that the book is forgettable. It, apparently, is filled with dense descriptions and some arcane language. It is interesting to note that Banville takes inspiration from Harold Pinter (see below) as Pinter is an author "who has traditionally stuck up two fingers to the critics and said sales are no measure of quality." The jury was sharply divided with John Sutherland, the chair, casting the deciding vote. Banville won because it was felt that The Sea is a "high point of fictional art".

I will update this post later with more details and will add the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is going to be announced tommorow morning (1pm CET which is...uh...6am Eastern Standard, I think). People are thinking it might be a North American (Phillip Roth, perhaps even Margaret Atwood or Alice Munroe) but in Swedish literary circles the Syrian poet Ali Ahmad Said, known as Adonis is favoured. We shall just have to wait to see. The Prize has actually been delayed for the first time in 10 years - it is usually announced the same week as the other four big awards - and the literary rumour mill wonders if it is because of a controversial Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who is facing charges in his home country for publically stating that Turkey is guilty of genocide against against Armenians and Kurds. The officials deny that the delay is due to arguements over Pamuk, and punits say it might be due to the committee considering a journalist, essayist or other non-fiction writer. See The Guardian for more.
Update : Announced this morning - the Nobel was awarded to Harold Pinter, something of a surprise as he wasn't really even consisdered as being in contention for the prize this year. The press release from the Swedish Academy doesn't say much except the prize was awarded as Pinter is an author "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms"." While giving the award they stated that Pinter was someone "who restored the art form of theatre." See the New York Times and the The Guardian.

That's it for now for prestigious international prizes. As for literary awards in Canada, the Governor General's Awards shortlist should be announced by the end of the month and the winner in mid-November and the Giller Prize will be awarded on November 8.
rgsc
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Edit (Oct. 18) Governor General's Literary Awards were announced see the Press Release for the full list. Winners announced November 16th.