Well, this isn't exactly breaking news--somehow the Prize Committee neglected to ring me up and tell me--but Patricia Wood, author of the funny and touching novel Lottery (and sometime visitor to this blog), has been shortlisted for the Orange Prize.
Since the Orange Prize is for women only, some of us shouldn't be expecting to ever see our names on that list, no matter what we write. But despite its gender discrimination, it's still a great prize, and generally shows better taste in its selection than some other prizes I could name. For example, a few years back, it picked Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, a novel I've forced on anyone who would sit still. This year, in addition to Patricia's well-deserved nomination, Rose Tremain--one of my favorite authors (The Way I Found Her is a masterpiece)--is also on the shortlist. So I have two horses in this race.
(But I confess I'm rooting for Patricia, because hers is a debut novel. And because I know her, at least in cyberspace--see the link on the sidebar under Cool Writers? And because she manages to visit Absolute Write every so often without losing her patience, which deserves some sort of prize all by itself.)
What? You haven't read Lottery? There's still time. That cover image up in the corner--of the somewhat-more-garish UK edition--will take you to the book on Amazon UK. The hardback is still in the stores in the US. And, for those of you who are inclined to pinch pennies, I believe a paperback edition is due out in a month or so.
Go, Patricia!
9 comments:
You are just so totally cool to post this!!
And since the Brits lay odds on the Orange Prize I DO feel somewhat like a horse LOL!
But it is too terribly exciting to go to London.
Thanks bunches!
Hi, Patricia--
Here's hoping you nab the brass ring--but it's a hell of an honor either way!
You keep proving your good taste...
I agree -- It'd be wonderful if Pat wins the Orange Prize with Lottery. She deserves it, and Lottery is on the list because it's a treat to read something fresh and uplifting and thought provoking at the same time.
You go, girl!
Hey, "Bel Canto" is one of the books you forced me to read! (For the record, I loved it...)
I'll have to check out this "Lottery" thingamajig.
YAY! I'm over from Pat's.
She has a lot of people on this side of the pond rooting for her!!!
:-)
Hi, Janet--
Trust me, I have a lot of bad taste, too.
Hi, Jake--
Thanks for backing up my facts. See, everybody? I DID go around forcing people to read "Bel Canto" at knifepoint! (My knife-wielding hand usually started to get really tired by the time they were halfway through the book.)
Hi, Holly, hi, Chris--
There's certainly a lot of people rooting for her. On the other hand, I don't think the prize committee takes opinion polls, so it's entrely in their hands...
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