Love this story from The Guardian this week. Apparently when the Booker rules changed in 1971, many worthy novels published in 1970 became ineligible for the prize. But the organization is ready to make this right. The longlist of lost novels has been published (see below), the shortlist will be announced in March and then (here is the really exciting part) the public will decide the winner to be awarded in May by voting on the Man Booker website.
How many of these do you know? Do you have a favorite? I have to admit to not knowing a few, and then a few more came to me like a jolt of electricity to the memory. And then there was that moment when I realized that The Driver's Seat is a Muriel Spark novel and not just an Elizabeth Taylor movie. Holy backlist! Feel like I have been caught reading in the moment again.
So here is the longlist:
- Brian Aldiss, The Hand Reared Boy
- HE Bates, A Little Of What You Fancy?
- Nina Bawden, The Birds On The Trees
- Melvyn Bragg, A Place In England
- Christy Brown, Down All The Days
- Len Deighton, Bomber
- JG Farrell, Troubles
- Elaine Feinstein, The Circle
- Shirley Hazzard, The Bay Of Noon
- Reginald Hill, A Clubbable Woman
- Susan Hill, I'm The King Of The Castle
- Francis King, A Domestic Animal
- Margaret Laurence, The Fire Dwellers
- David Lodge, Out Of The Shelter
- Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honourable Defeat
- Shiva Naipaul, Fireflies
- Patrick O'Brian, Master and Commander
- Joe Orton, Head To Toe
- Mary Renault, Fire From Heaven
- Ruth Rendell, A Guilty Thing Surprised
- Muriel Spark, The Driver's Seat
- Patrick White, The Vivisector
So aside from Simon who I expect to hear from in the midst of another Susan Hill moment, which six would you shortlist? And who should walk away with the long-awaited prize?