Remembering the past Spring Literature Awards Season
Back in March/April the Spring Literature Award Season saw the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 won by Barbara Kingsolver for Demon Copperhead, a book I did eventually read but didn’t review; the Dublin Literary Award, a celebrated worldwide librarian nominated award, won by Katja Oskamp, translated from German by Jo Heinrich, for the excellent, life-affirming novella Marzhan, Mon Amour, a book I absolutely loved – how could I not, a writer turned well-being practitioner protagonist (much like Oskamp herself), who soothes aches and pains of the body, mind and soul of her small, often misunderstood community.
Then there was the International Booker Prize (fiction in translation) shortlist, from which I read three novels, the outstanding read for me being Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel’s Still Born, the top prize going to Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov for his novel Time Shelter, translated by Angela Rodel.
I shared the results of the New Zealand Book Awards and though these titles are not easy to get hold of, I did manage to read Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter by Noelle McCarthy which won the Best First Book in the General Nonfiction category, with Catherine Chidgey’s The Axeman’s Carnival winning the fiction award, one I hope to read in 2024.
Autumn Literature Award Winner Week
This week will see the unveiling of three more literature awards that I’m curious about.
Irish Book Awards 2023
On Wed 22 November, the winners of the Irish Book Awards 2023 will be announced. I’ve been reading a lot of Irish literature this year, including almost half of the 8 fiction titles shortlisted for Novel of the Year and one title Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan that is shortlisted for both Biography of the Year and the Listener’s Choice Awards.
So far, I’ve read and reviewed Sebastian Barry’s Old Gold’s Time which I thought was excellent and would certainly be a worthy winner, Elaine Feeney’s How To Build a Boat, a character lead scenario that I very much enjoyed, I’m almost finished reading Claire Kilroy’s intense, visceral portrayal of a young mother on the edge of parental overwhelm Soldier Sailor and I’ll soon be reading the very short contender by Claire Keegan (so short it might not even be a novella) So Late In the Day.
The Booker Prize 2023
It’s a strong fiction lineup for the Irish Awards, with four of their shortlisted titles already featured on the Booker Prize longlist, two of which made it to the shortlist (none of which I have read); the winner will be announced on Sunday 26 November. This group of six books below was said by the judges to “showcase the breadth of what world literature can do, while gesturing at the unease of our moment.” In this case, I found more of interest in the longlist than the shortlist.
The Warwick Prize for Women In Translation 2023
And last but not least, the winner of the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation will be announced on Thursday 23 November.
I have read one title from this shortlist, though it has only just appeared in English thanks to Charco Press, The Remains by Mexican author Margo Glantz was originally published in 2002. I describe this literary masterpiece as a lyrical elegy of tempo rubato, z divorced woman feels out of place and yet connected at her ex-husbands wake, a riveting, mind blowing (or perhaps expanding), rhythmic reading experience, just WOW!
Despite being one of the most iconic figures in Latin American literature, her work is little known in English. Charco Press now bring her work to a new audience with this excellent translation by Ellen Jones.
So watch this space this week for the winners of these three sets of awards.
Have you read any works from these shortlists? Any favourites? Predictions?
Word by Word 
Great reference post…Irish awards…can’t wait to hear the winners! You’ve been reading/reviewing so much lately, bravo!
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A great round-up, Claire! I read (and loved) Lalla Romano’s A Silence Shared earlier this year and am really pleased to see it on the Warwick Prize shortlist. Forbidden Notebook feels like a major omission though. I think it was on the longlist, so I’m surprised (and a little sad) not to see it progress to the final eight. Oh well…
Funnily enough, I’m also reading Soldier Sailor right now – we’ll have to compare notes once our posts go up!
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Thank you Jacqui, yes I agree about Alba des Cespedes Forbidden Notebook, definitely one of my favourite reads of 2023 and I am looking forward to more of her work being published in 2024.
I did wonder how it might be for judges when considering works that were written 20 years ago, like The Remains or 70 years ago like Forbidden Notebook, it’s a kind of double edged dilemma, because awards today seem to be rewarding those stories that are reflecting our times and yet there are these classics that due to having being written in another language, which means an ‘other’ influence, have taken until now to become available to the English reading world. We are fortunate that today’s younger readers have a passion for works in translation, so we get to gain insights into periods of time and history through eyes other than our own.
As I always say, I tend to find my gems in the long lists, but I do enjoy observing that particular group of people (the judges) decide what they will allow to rise above the rest.
Soldier Sailor is something else! A baby is indeed a form of Forbidden Notebook, guaranteed to change your life and test your sanity, a terrific, exhausting read. Bonne Courage!
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Nero shortlists are just out as well! I’ve not been following the Booker at all this year and so, like you, have read 0 novels from the shortlist – I think the one that tempts me most is The Bee Sting.
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Oh, I haven’t heard about The Nero Awards, that makes me think of The Costa Awards – are they still a thing? Ok, No. I just looked them up, after 50 years and a few name changes, they ended in Feb 2022.
Well, it’s good to know another coffee shop chain has picked up the mantel, here’s a link to the shortlist for anyone else reading these comments. Winners announced on 16 January and Book of the Year in Feb 2024.
https://nerobookawards.com/2023shortlist/
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So far, I’ve only read the Kingsolver and the Barry, but there are some strong contenders here, so I’ll keep going!
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Claire, as I said great reference post and I’m using it to search for #20BooksOfSummer. Perhaps this post is worth a “re-blog”!
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Thanks for the reminder Nancy, I wrote that one in Nov, but I think I can do a May or June one at the end of spring when we have a few results. I’m going to start Enter Ghost today, which is in the Women’s Prize shortlist, I started Audition on the NZ book awards but decided it’s a DNF as there’s too much else calling me and the style just doesn’t resonate for me.
I have Chidgey’s Axeman’s Carnival now, so might read that next.
A 20 books if summer is is a great idea too! I’m going to think about that, though I change my plans after every book it seems! 🤣
Because you know, so still have 2 Percival Everett’s to read, Telephone and James. Very tempted, maybe I’ll add them to my 20.
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Thanks for your reading update…yes, must read Everett’s Trees, So Much Blue and James!
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