Over at the Guardian, there’s a judge from every year since 1969 to talk about the experience of judging the Booker. Here’s the dust-up:
- No one ever, ever, changes their mind about a book. Even after all the discussion between judges, everyone still hates the novels they hated and loved the novels they loved. As Tibor Fischer said, “You might as well have a show of hands straight away.”
- After reading an average of 6.3 novels a week for several months, several judges went blind. Okay, no, that’s what would happen to me. But several mentioned they resorted to reading only nonfiction and narrative journalism after such a narrow diet of fiction (it’s the literary equivalent of pigging out on bread after Atkins).
- Longlists tend to be harder to pick than shortlists.
- Favorite quote from the pieces: While establishing the criteria that judges should use to consider novels for the Booker, chair Grey Gowrie said good novels were radioactive: they lingered with you. I think that’s why critics should be allowed to change their mind about books later (Remember Dave Eggers switch-a-roo on David Foster Wallace?). Because you just need time to determine whether the book will stick with you or whether it’s only momentarily impressive.
- Good chairs versus bad chairs: All the good chairs were named, while obviously judges neglected to mention the bad ones. But good chairs apparently made the political process (which seemed to consist of tallying votes, and of saying which book wasn’t hated, rather than which book was well liked) much, much easier.
- Perpetual theme through all judges’ comments: Literary prizes are always a big crap-shoot. James Wood’s piece emphasizes this the most. He’s a purist when it comes to literature, and prizes are full of maneuvering. Thus, he refuses to ever judge a prize again (and has stuck to it). And there are others such as Paul Bailey who didn’t exactly have wonderful experiences: “There are many things I regret doing, and being a judge for the Booker prize is one of them.” Hilary Mantel sums it up best:
- In retrospect, many judges are fond of “The Blue Flower” and “Siege of Krishnapur.”
“I’m glad I was a Booker judge relatively early in my career. It stopped me thinking that literary prizes are about literary value. Even the most correct jury goes in for horsetrading and gamesmanship, and what emerges is a compromise.”
