The Mookse and the Gripes discussion

The Goldsmiths Prize is my favourite of all the literary prizes in terms of a source of interesting books, so I thought worthy of a thread.

It's a newish (2013) prize established by the University of London and supported by the current affairs/cultural magazine The New Statesman.

Overall I think it has succeeded where the Folio Prize failed miserably, in carving out a distinctive niche, sitting at one end of a spectrum in the UK scene with the Booker in the middle and Costa Prize at the other. It takes a very special novel to contend for all three - only Ali Smith's Nowhere to be Found has managed it.

It specifically sets out to "celebrate the qualities of creative daring" and "to reward fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form." To me that's a very valuable counterweight to the rather unimaginative books that often fill out the Man Booker and even the MBI/IFFP lists. Not all of the Goldsmiths shortlisted books succeed but if they fail, they fail spectacularly.

(Whereas the Folio Prize was formed in a bit of a kneejerk response to one bad year in the Booker - the infamous Dame Stella Jury. When the Booker appointed a more sensible jury and also took the decision to also include non-Commonwealth (e.g. US) books, its distinctiveness was lost, and the whole prize also had an air of pretentiousness.)

My reviews of the shortlists for the last two years:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

This article is worth a read:

http://www.newstatesman.com/2014/09/a...

Thanks Paul for all this great information--wonderful.

Yes, thanks for putting this up. I've never really looked at the prize much before, though from the shortlists I see that I should be. Nice that it's young so I don't have a huge amount of catching up to do if I wanted to really dive in.

I would recommend most of the books from 2014 and 2015 - indeed the weaker ones tend to be those that are Booker shortlisted as well, although even there they choose the most distinctive if not the best ones.

But novels like The Wake, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers, Acts of the Assassins, The Absent Therapist and In the Light of What We Know were all genuinely exceptional discoveries for me.

For reference, here is a list of prior Goldsmiths Prize winners and shortlists:

2013:
- A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing , by Eimer McBride
- Harvest , by Jim Crace
- Exodus , by Lars Iyer
- Red or Dead , by David Peace
- Artful , by Ali Smith
- tapestry , by Philip Terry

2014:
- How to Be Both , by Ali Smith
- Outline , by Rachel Cusk
- The Absent Therapist , by Will Eaves
- The Wake , by Paul Kingsnorth
- In the Light of What We Know , by Zia Haider Rahman

2015:
- Beatlebone , by Kevin Barry
- Acts of the Assassins , by Richard Beard
- The Field of the Cloth of Gold , by Magnus Mills
- Satin Island , by Tom McCarthy
- Grief Is the Thing with Feathers , by Max Porter
- Lurid & Cute , by Adam Thirlwell

2016:
- Martin John , by Anakana Schofield
- The Lesser Bohemians , by Eimer McBride
- Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun , by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
- Transit , by Rachel Cusk
- Hot Milk , by Deborah Levy
- Solar Bones , Mike McCormack

Thanks, I hadn't quite had the time to do that. From 2013 l have only read Harvest, but another strong book.

Same here, and if I'm not mistaken Harvest was my pick for the Booker that year, though I did not complete that Booker shortlist.

This thread has now sent me down a Dame Stella internet clickhole.

The countdown is on to the announcement of the shortlist for Britain's premier book award.

Yes the Goldsmiths Prize (I can pretty much guarantee the shortlist will be better than this year's Booker, unless the judges for the latter call in some books not on the longlist).

And some extra excitement this year for anyone able to get to London. Wed 28th September - a lecture from Howard Jacobson + live announcement of the shortlist and tickets are free.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-ne...?

I like the principle of the Goldsmiths, but wonder it's turning up enough from authors who are not already well-known. (Well known to British readers of this sort of thing - only two of those books above, tapestry and Acts of the Assassins I hadn't heard of before those lists were announced.)

Could they try harder to find books from smaller presses?
Or is the field just too small?

A lot of experimentally inclined writing gets published in the US - there are more publishers open to it there. (And I would have said that even before a UK-based GR friend got his novel published by a small US independent - although I hadn't quite realised that sort of thing happened.) I would hate to see the Goldsmiths entirely swamped by Americans though.

Some rather predictable contenders for this year:
The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
Beast by Paul Kingsnorth
The Cauliflower by Nicola Barker

There must be more lurking around the Booker Prize Eligible list on here, and the Guardian Not the Booker nominations.

Fair point, it doesn't go out of its way to find books from smaller presses or unknown authors.

Not sure if that's what it's trying to do - the Guardian Not The Booker seems to do that better.

The main Booker itself seems to have headed down that route this year, and deliberately passed over the big names. E.g. the books by Swift, Rushdie and Barnes are all, in my view, much better than most of the shortlist, albeit not their finest work, and not really in need of Booker longlisting to promote them.

I do think the Goldsmiths has consistently produced a better quality and more interesting set of books than the Booker: certainly I will prioritise reading its shortlist over the remaining Booker listed books.

Pond is a book the Goldsmiths Prize themselves have been promoting heavily - t would be a worthy winner although I'm not sure if it's eligible this year or missed out last.

I think I heard it missed out last as not eligible for being a collection of stories, though it's probably more of a novel that All That Man Is.

Trevor wrote: "I think I heard it missed out last as not eligible for being a collection of stories, though it's probably more of a novel that All That Man Is."

That may well explain the odd sight of a prize heavily promoting a novel it didn't shortlist. When reading it I didn't think of it as a linked short-story collection at all, I just took it as a novel.

Interesting prize and worth keeping an eye on the shortlist.
I agree that Nicola Barker's The Cauliflower should be on the shortlist. I also expect to see Mike McCormack's Solar Bones there. Publishers based in Republic of Ireland are eligible.

Not long before the shortlist announcement! September 28.

I'm excited since this is the first year I'll be paying attention to this prize.

Let's hope this year's list live up to the hype that I have given it!

So far every year, there has been at least one book on both the Booker and Goldsmiths shortlist (which incidentally supports Antonomasia's point above.), Harvest, J, How to be Both and Satin Island have all done the double.

So if there were one this year, which would it be? I struggle to see one. Perhaps Hot Milk.

Other tips (thanks in part to David Hebblethwaite on twitter)

Past shortlistees Autumn, Transit: A Novel

Others Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain, Anatomy of a Soldier, Martin John, Playthings, Infinite Ground.

And of course Jerusalem.

Not long to go.

Shortlist announcement to be live streamed at gold.ac.uk/live-stream/

I have really talked this award up - now watch them pick a shortlist that would make even the Booker jury blush!

I won't hold it against you, Paul! I've seen the lists from the last few years and I'd be excited too.

A bit hard to hear, sadly. Hopefully they'll get a transcript up of Jacobson's lecture (I like him).

Very good shortlist - glad to see Rachel Cusk, Eimear McBride, Mike McCormack on there. And obviously Deborah Levy. No idea on the other two, look forward to finding out.

An exciting list!

Martin John, by Anakana Schofield
The Lesser Bohemians, by Eimer McBride
Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun, by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
Transit, by Rachel Cusk
Hot Milk, by Deborah Levy
Solar Bones, Mike McCormack

Glad to say I've read two, and one is my choice for this year's Booker Prize and the other was my choice for last year's Giller Prize! I've also enjoyed Cusk's project, and have heard great things about the two Mc's.

Here's my ranking of 2016 so far:

1. Hot Milk
2. Martin John

I hope to read the other four soon, but not sure I'll be able to. Looking forward to hearing thoughts!

Thought it might be helpful to create a version with links:
Martin John by Anakana Schofield
The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun by Sarah Ladipo Manyika
Transit by Rachel Cusk
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
Solar Bones by Mike McCormack

The only one I have read is Hot Milk, but Eimear McBride and Rachel Cusk are bound to be worth reading. The other three are new to me.

Well that shortlist blows away the Booker one.

The usual one book in common, but that's comfortably the best book on the Booker longlist.

And upthread we collectively called 5 of the 6. Which both leaves me feeling pleased, but is also a big contrast to the random Booker list.

Seriously - we all need to switch prizes next year.

Trevor wrote: "A bit hard to hear, sadly. Hopefully they'll get a transcript up of Jacobson's lecture (I like him)."

Will be published in the New Statesman magazine.

Thanks Hugh - that was useful.

Paul: if Transit is as good as Outline it has to be a big shout. But then, The Lesser Bohemians is the best novel I've read yet this year. Good choices by the looks.

I've only read Hot Milk but I'm really excited to read these.

Delighted to see Solar Bones on the shortlist. One of the best things I've read this year.

I've read Hot Milk and have all but Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun sitting in my TBR pile. Very much looking forward to reading Transit.

Joe wrote: "Delighted to see Solar Bones on the shortlist. One of the best things I've read this year.

I've read Hot Milk and have all but Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun sitting in my TBR pile. Ve..."

Yes great call upthread on Solar Bones

I am so excited about this shortlist! It looks like The Lesser Bohemians came out last week in the US and Transit is forthcoming (January). No pub date for Solar Bones as far as I can tell.

I have one book in hand and two others on hold at my library and am looking forward to joining the discussion.

This shortlist looks really interesting. Sigh, more books to excite and so little time...

Kazen wrote: "I am so excited about this shortlist! It looks like The Lesser Bohemians came out last week in the US and Transit is forthcoming (January). No pub date for [book:Sol..."

No U.S. publication dates for either Solar Bones or Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun. There's always BookDepository, but my book buying budget's blown with the Bookers and Henry Green.

Dan wrote: "No U.S. publication dates for either Solar Bones or Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun."

It looks like Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun was released digitally last April 1st - my e-library (using Overdrive) has it, and it's on US Amazon if digital is an option for you.

eta: $11 US for a 94 page digital book is kind of harsh, though.

Kazen wrote: "Dan wrote: "No U.S. publication dates for either Solar Bones or Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun."

It looks like Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun was released digitally last Apri..."
Thank you, Kazen. For fiction, I'm stuck in the pre-digital age.

Dan wrote: "Thank you, Kazen. For fiction, I'm stuck in the pre-digital age."

It was worth a try. And I wouldn't say stuck... maybe comfortably ensconced? ;)

The author of Like a Mule took the brave and principled decision to have her novel published by a small Nigerian press, so that has initially delayed availability in the US. Hopefully this shortlisting will help.

See
https://www.theguardian.com/books/boo...

Do we have enough interest here to create separate threads? I will certainly be reading them all.

And if so - Trevor/fellow mods - how do we do that?

I'm planning to read them all if I can get copies of everything.

I'll eagerly follow thread, but only three (Levy, McBride, Schofield) available in print in U.S. I started Serious Sweet, and then just interrupted it by starting Earthly Powers, so it may be weeks before I can start anything else.

Paul wrote: "Do we have enough interest here to create separate threads? I will certainly be reading them all.

And if so - Trevor/fellow mods - how do we do that?"

I think I will probably read them all - let's start threads! :-)

Will do! We can set up its own folder and put threads in there!

I wonder if there was any intention behind this year's shortlist being 5/6 female when set against last year's 6/6 male.

Okay, there is now a Goldsmiths folder (which this thread is a part of).

Thanks for setting up the discussions Trevor - I suspect my participation will be limited since my backlog of unread books has not yet recovered from the Booker shortlist...

Antonomasia wrote: "I wonder if there was any intention behind this year's shortlist being 5/6 female when set against last year's 6/6 male."

When announcing it on Tuesday the head of judges did make the point, so if not deliberate I think they were at least pleased it worked out that way. Although I think all of the books are there entirely on merit.

Feels they have also addressed your point unthread re independent presses, as 3 books are relatively unknown authors from Indy presses and three big hitters (albeit one of whom only became a big hitter after the Goldsmiths Prize picked up her first novel) from bigger presses.

It makes sense to me that some years there won't be a balance and good on the judges for not caring. It should be the quality of book, not the sex of the author.

Very excited that I now either have or have copies on the way to me of all the titles.

The jury's own take on the shortlist is on a video here https://vimeo.com/184683914

Exciting news for anyone In or able to get to London.

Free event with the shortlisted authors reading from their novels

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-go...