The Booker Prize

The booker horn in divide is considered to be wiz of the nearly prestigious recognition of the literary world and it represents matchless of the closely heavy international rewards for any author, ne it a know or a piffling cognise single. As any face of its king, it stands as a full realisation of the efforts and endeavors of writers from different periods of condemnation. Despite the particular that it does non have the same(p) international impact as the Nobel Prize for literature, it is viewed as a major asset in the writing c atomic number 18er of its victors.However, it tummy be argued that the contri besidesion of the trophy is two folded, as in that location atomic number 18 twain advantages and disadvantages for loving the calculate. Still, it is quite an hard to determine the extent to which one of these two elements prevails. It whitethorn be that in the career of an already famous writer the role such a consider plays be rather limited as a bout often this award is solely a different acknowl buttment of the literary merits in a series of awards. On the other hand, for emerging forward-looking literary talents or for detailed know fiction authors, it plays a signifi commodet role.This is why, in order to have a better comprehension of the influence the booker Prize has and the power of the award in itself, archetypal and fore virtually it is important to postulate into poster the record of the Prize and the tendencies it followed. Secondly, the actual advantages and disadvantages of the reckon sewernot be determined in full general terms, but must be focused on situation examples. In this sense, the present paper aims at discussing Vernon God Little and The Inheritance of breathing out, two of the allegorys which captured this award in 2003 and 2006 respectively.In this context, a coherent analysis slew be made in relation to their state prior to clearning the award and afterwards. Finally, near conclusi ons can be drawn which may slough some light on the possible advantages and disadvantages of awarding little kn throw authors the Prize, through the image of the two writers. History and tendencies of the book of biller Prize The booker Prize or the cosmos booking agent Prize at it is cognize since 2002 was fist realised in 1968 and aims to reward the best novel of the yr written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland (The booker Prize Foundation, 2008).Through a serve up of astute selection, authors in the English communicate world are rewarded for their literary efforts in the area of fictional organise and are given the possibility to claim worldwide recognition. The Prize was ceremonious by the booking agent Company but administered since 1971 by the charitable appertain the Book Trust (formerly the National Book League), the Prize, for the first time awarded to P. H. Newby ( nearthing to Answer For) in 1969, soon grew into one of Britains mo st recognizable cultural institutions (Huggan, 2001, 107).From this point of view, the care for in itself is in that locationfore viewed as one of the most important literary acclaims of the world. The early start of the award was directly related to the historical evolutions winning couch especially in the Commonwealth but in like manner end-to-end the world. The end of the 1960s represented not only a snip of an increase literary activity but also a beat of great political turmoil. In this sense, the decolonization proves was an important factor in outlining not only the national relations inside the former colonies, but also in determining the future contacts with the former colonial powers.The rejoinder of colonialism was brocaded quite often throughout the report of the Prize, taking into account the fact that the company which organizes and sponsors the yearly withalt was comfortably known for its net plantations in areas such as the West Indies. In this sense, th ere were legitimate controversies which arose throughout the years in relation to this matter. In one occasion, in 1972 the master of the Prize, John Berger, declared that he would support the black immoderate movement, the Black Panther in defiance of what he labe direct as be a colonial rule on the territory (The Book Prize Foundation, 2007).Therefore, it was important especially for Great Britain to undergo all sorts of programs that would sanction it to maintain a good and strong relation with its former colonies. In this sense, the Prize represented a connection between the artistic environments of different countries from the Commonwealth, Ireland, or South Africa. It was yet another element that placed these countries unneurotic and defined their common cultural heritage from the past.Therefore, it can be argued that, deflection from its literary value, the Prize played a particular role in forging and rewarding the essence of culture and literature in particular from the Commonwealth countries. Despite constant controversy and discussions over the merits and awards given along the years, there have been some important names which have claimed the award, and at the same measure, there were impressive spick-and-spancomers which burst on the literary facial expression after winning the award. The first winner of the prize was in 1969 P H Newby for Something to answer for.Taking into account the fact that it was the first edition of the awards, it raised without a doubtfulness authentic controversies. This was largely payable to the fact that the winner was known beforehand and it was considered that a free competition and fairness had not yet been set in place. Still, the author persists in the muniment of the booker Prize as the first winner of the award. There are resounding names which have claimed this literary recognition. Among them, William Golding in 1980 for Rites of Passage, in 1982 doubting Thomas Keneally for Schindlers Ark, or 1989s Kazuo Ishiguros Remains of the Day.All these authors and many more than considered the prize as being an important asset in their literary careers and remain to this day reference points of the English speaking literature. However, there are little known writers who claimed the prize and soon after, emerged as rising stars of the literary world. Some of the names include 1985 winner Keri Hulme with The Bone People. The winner was on his first novel which, following the prize, came to look incredible success (The booking agent Foundation, 2007).Throughout the history of the prize, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the system of awarding the prize, and even the solemnity in itself. However, as the years went by, the format of the prizes, including the actual essence in which the prize was given would adapt to the rigors of an emerging global pleasure society. More precisely, if in the tooth root the event did not enjoy the cozy up in the literary and televisi on society, in 1976, Melvyn Bragg presented the first ever TV broadcast of the Booker Prize, live on BBC2 (The Booker Foundation, 2007).This came to be an acknowledgement of the importance the prize came to have in the literary world and in the English society as well. At the same time however, out-of-pocket to the fact that the artistic part of the awarding ceremony became more and more important for the audience and the media coverage the event started to receive, the controversies surrounding the event took an move trend. In this sense, many have accused the prize committee of supply to either the needs of otherwise unknown authors in the right place at the right time or to the same few authors individually year.Political agendas and profit motives have also received much attention in recent years, further fuelling the controversy surrounding the prize (Jacobson, 1997). From this point of view, one can argue that the controversies surrounding the prize have in most occasions shifted the focus from the literary event it was meant to be in the beginning to a market occasion it is now considered to be. The tendency nowadays is rather hard to determine due to the different points of view shared by analysts.In this sense, turn the organizers and part of the media considers it to be the worlds most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers (The Booker Prize Foundation, 2007), others view it as an enormously successful marketing vehicle for nominal authors and their publishers alike (Jacobson, 1997). Yet, for some of the winners, these two perspectives can find a worthy combination which can acknowledge the quality of their score and promote the sale of their books at the same time. The Booker Prize offspring writers and first time novelistsOne of the most important aspects of the Booker Prize is given by the possible impact it has on the actual winners. While there is little discussion on the adva ntages well known authors draw from winning the prestigious prize, a more relevant discussion would be on the effects it has on first time novelists who are awarded the prize. In this context, the effects can be seen more in the careers of first time novelists due to the fact that it represents the first recognition of their execution and therefore its impact can be better assessed. hence, the biggest impact the prize has is on the author who actually wins the award.In this sense, D B C capital of South Dakota won the award in 2003 with Vernon God Little. His won of the prize is considered to be one of the most interesting surprises of the event. According to the most reviews at the time, the writer was considered to be an underdog in comparison to his rivals, as It beat a shortlist including the first novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane, which was the bookmakers favorite and has been the biggest seller in the shops, and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the only established author t o make it to the final round of judging (Jury, 2003).From this first perspective, it can be seen the fact that in the judging process the focus of the instrument embellish tried to be on first time novelists as well as on established ones. This approach tends to give true equilibrium to the awarding process and to take into account a wide variety of literary submissions. The choice of the jury at the time was unanimous therefore there was little doubt on the potential winner. The unity of the choice was considered to be justified due to the important message the text tried to convey.The story of a raw teenager from Texas whose lifespan evolves as he tries to face up the challenges of poverty, violence, and family calamity was impressive for the panel of the judges who claimed that the book is a coruscating black frivolity reflecting our alarm but also our fascination with modern America (Jury, 2003). Indeed the emotional touch on the novel came from the authors own persona lized experience as a drug addict in search for his own identity and individual recognition of the self.There are certain objective elements which drew the attention on the novel itself. Firstly, there was therefore the personal affection of the author which transformed the book into an impressionable work. Secondly, there was the subject which dealt with a serious issue affecting America at the time. High school shootings and violence among teenagers were considered, and still are viewed as being an essential challenge facing the society due to the questions it actually raises on the values driving the society forward.In this sense, critics considered that the storyline for this book is one that you would as much see played out today on the vi oclock moderns as read in a novel and has for this grounds struck a chord with book lovers (Jury, 2003). Therefore, the actuality of the story combined with the shimmer of the personal history of the author made the novel receive the most acclaimed British literary award. The reviews were however split following the award ceremony as not everybody considered such a literary work to be worthy of the prestige of this prize.In this sense, picking up on Finlays notorious past, The casual Telegraph described his win as mellowedly embarrassing for the prizes organizers and sponsor, the Man group. The Guardian called him the oddest and most controversial character to have won the award, while The Independents literary editor, Boyd Tonkin, said he was a novelist whose background makes the antics of most recent writers look tame in the extreme (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2003). Therefore, the cutting edge of the novel was not fully appreciated by traditional literary reviews who considered it to be a choice too daring for the conservatory genius of the award.However, despite the criticism that surfaced after the award ceremony, another element was introduced in the justification for rewarding Finlays artistic effort with the prize. Therefore, it was considered that taking into account such a novel and the fact that the winner was in fact a debutant on the literary scene, the focus of the Booker Prize may have shifted from the well acclaimed authors to the ones that have not been top of the selling lists. In this way, the Booker Prize Foundation would engage itself in an endeavor meant at promoting the new talents and at reintroducing early literature to the public.Another important presence on the list of the winners of the Booker Prize is the 2006 jurys choice in the person of Kiran Desai and her novel The Inheritance of Loss. At 35, she was the youngest female writer to receive the award and this element, along with the quality of her work, attracted the attention of both the jury and the public worldwide. She contested the prize with other five writers, including her mother who had been nominated before for the award, yet never won it (BBC, 2006).Among the other writers from the short list, ther e were authors with more experience and with more public consideration such as Sarah Waters or Kate Greenville. Still, she became the youngest winner of the award. This was due in part to the new attempt of the Booker Prize Foundation to try to promote new talents and in part to the emotional story Desais novel portrayed, a story of globalisation, multiculturalism, inequality and the different forms of love (Pryor, 2006).From the perspective of Finlays experience with the Booker Prize as well as Kiran Desais, it can be said that there are both advantages and disadvantages in winning the award. Firstly, one of the most important advantages of the award is the financial aspect. On being awarded the prize, the winner receives ? 50,000 and the tacit commitment of the Foundation to continuously promote the novel. In the fact of Finlays personal history, in the conditions in which he lived a life of poverty following the loss of his family fortune, the financial aspect can be seen as bei ng of considerable importance (Greer, 2003).Secondly, another advantage of young or debutant writers receiving this prestigious award is the wide recognitions they receive following the ceremony. forward the award, Finlay was far from being an award winning character. His life of drugs, alcohol, and misery would not have presented himself as a possible valuable mind for the literary world. Even more, his past has often been invoked as being unworthy of a Booker Prize winner. Yet, after the recognition he received from the Booker Foundation, many of his critics turned to admit his literary merits in presenting a new face of everyday life in America.In this way, aside from the fact that he managed to draw the attention on the misery and distress affecting topical anesthetic societies in America, he also succeeded in underlining the effects of an abuse led life. Similarly, in Desais situation, the award represented both a personal recognition of her young talent, as well as a cogent evidence of the the attention the issues addressed by her book received following the award. In this sense, the judges hailed The Inheritance of Loss as a magnificent novel of humane breadth and wisdom, comic tenderness and powerful political distinctness (BBC, 2006).Thus, another advantage of the award received by a young talent is the fact that by recognizing the value of the book, the jury also acknowledges both the new perspective given to certain elements such as indulge culture issues and, at the same time, underlines the importance of the issues under discussion for the contemporaneous society. Probably one of the most important advantages young winners and first time novelists benefit from is the increase in gross revenue of their books. Most winners received not only wide acclaim from the critics, but also from the public.For instance, the 1978 winner, Iris Murdochs The ocean, The Sea () has a rate of continuing popularity which almost all of todays authors would give t heir pith teeth to equal (Ezard, 2004). Therefore, most authors du find fame and fortune following the award winner status. Kiran Desai ensured the Penguin fiction division a rise in sales of two percent immediately after winning the Booker Prize award. Thus, the success of her book was also viewed in the choice of the readers. Still, one of the most important elements which drew the attention of the public was precisely the label of Booker Prize winner.Similarly, Fanleys story was proposed for a film adaptation as a extend of the critics acclaim (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2004). Hence, each in his or hers own way managed to reach success as a result of the Booker Prize. Aside from the various, especially financial advantages, there are also considerable disadvantages of the Prize being given to young or first time novelists. One of the most important however is the eventual commercialisation of the literary content in an attempt to win the prestigious prize.In this sense, becau se of the marketing potential and the industry-renowned judges, the Booker Prize now is a very high stakes award. Authors, in turn, have more reason to tailor their work to the expectations of the Booker arbiters (Jacobson, 1997). As a result, the quality of the works may precipitate in the attempt to write attractive novels for the judges in the panel rather for the public. Hence, the prize has come to be a goal in itself, rather than an actual recognition. Young artists and first time novelists tend to expunge in this trap most often due to the lack of experience and a limited identification of their own personal style.Moreover, due to the increased media attention on the prize, the entire process becomes more focused on the financial aspect, rather than on the artistic value of the recognition in itself. It is considered thus that all in all, there can be little doubt that the Booker, more than any other literary prize in recent history, has blazed a trail in the commercializat ion of English-language literature (Huggan, 2001). Overall, it can be said that the Booker Prize has had an important influence on its winners, but also on the new tendencies it rewards through the acknowledgement of certain artists.However, another true element is the fact that the commercialization of the entire process has led to the dilution of the value of such a prize. This is why it is important that the Booker Prize award new talents or even little known artists, without regard to their personal or ethnical background because it would prove that the most important element the Booker Prize takes into account is talent and literary achievement, rather than fame and public notoriety. Bibliography BBC. Kiran Desai claims Booker title. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 <http//news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/entertainment/6038418. immediate memory> Desai,Kiran.The Inheritance of Loss. New York Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005. Ezard, John. Booker prizes long-term fame lottery. The Guardian. 2 004. 6 January 2008 <http//books. guardian. co. uk/bookerprize2004/story/0,,1332122,00. html> Greer, W. R. Book canvas Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. 2003. 6 January 2008 <http//www. reviewsofbooks. com/vernon_god_little/review/> Huggan, Graham. The Postcolonial Exotic merchandising the Margins. Routledge. New York, 2001. Jacobson, Warren. The Booker Prize. 1997. 6 January 2008 <http//www. english. emory. edu/Bahri/Booker. html> Jury, Louise. Debut novelist defies odds to win Booker prize.The Independent. 2003. 6 January 2008 <http//findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20031015/ai_n12730627> Pierre, D. B. C. Vernon God Little. London Faber and Faber, 2005. Pryor, Fiona. polish The Inheritance of Loss. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 <http//news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/entertainment/5413704. stm> The Booker Prize Foundation. About the prize. 2007. 6 January 2008 <http//www. themanbookerprize. com/prize/about> The Booker Prize Foundation. Hitting the headli nes. 2007. 6 January 2008 <http//www. themanbookerprize. com/perspective/articles/1017> The Booker Prize Foundation. The Booker Prize. 2008. 6 January 2008