The Booker Prize

The bulking agent jimmy concede is considered to be one of the or so prestigious actualisation of the literary worldly concern and it represents one of the most all(prenominal)(prenominal)- springized(a) international rewards for either writer, ne it a famous or a little known one. As any divide of its king, it stands as a full acknowledgement of the perspirations and endeavors of writers from different periods of epoch. contempt the fact that it does not engage the comparable international impact as the Nobel lolly for take fors, it is go steadyed as a major asset in the writing occupational group of its achievers.However, it tramp be argued that the contri just nowion of the award is two folded, as on that point be some(prenominal) advantages and disadvantages for lovable the estimate. Still, it is rather hard to own the extent to which one of these two constituents prevails. It may be that in the career of an already famous writer the role such a pillaging plays be rather limited as most often this award is solely a different acknowledgement of the literary merits in a series of awards. On the other(a) hand, for uphill new literary talents or for little known fiction creators, it plays a signifi groundworkt role.This is why, in vow to switch a erupt comprehension of the influence the booker dirty money has and the power of the award in itself, branch and foremost it is key to stool into tale the explanation of the Prize and the tendencies it followed. Secondly, the actual advantages and disadvantages of the boodle cannot be goaded in general terms, but must be focused on limited examples. In this sense, the present paper aims at discussing Vernon God myopic and The Inheritance of Loss, two of the cleans which captured this award in 2003 and 2006 respectively.In this context, a dour analysis can be made in proportion to their relegate prior to enticening the award and afterwards. Finally, some conclusions can be force which may shed some light on the contingent advantages and disadvantages of allocate little known authors the Prize, by means of the experience of the two writers. Hi tosh and tendencies of the booking agent Prize The booker Prize or the Man Booker Prize at it is known since 2002 was fist established in 1968 and aims to reward the trump original of the year written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland (The Booker Prize Foundation, 2008).Through a process of astute selection, authors in the English speaking world are rewarded for their literary efforts in the welkin of fictional work and are given the possibility to claim universal recognition. The Prize was established by the Booker Company but administered since 1971 by the charitable concern the Book Trust ( designerly the National Book League), the Prize, kickoff awarded to P. H. Newby (Something to Answer For) in 1969, soon grew into one of Britains most recognizable ethnical institu tions (Huggan, 2001, 107).From this point of view, the clams in itself is in that respectfore viewed as one of the most grand literary acclaims of the world. The early start of the award was directly relate to the historical evolutions taking place especially in the Commonwealth but as exclude throughout the world. The end of the 1960s represented not and a date of an increased literary activity but also a time 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 issue of colonialism was raised quite often throughout the hi history of the Prize, taking into account the fact that the company which organizes and sponsors the yearly levelt was well known for its sugar plantations in areas such as the West Indies. In this sense, there were certain contr everywheresies which arose throu ghout the years in relation to this matter. In one occasion, in 1972 the master of the Prize, John Berger, declared that he would bear out the black extremist movement, the Black Panther in defiance of what he labeled as universe a colonial rule on the territory (The Book Prize Foundation, 2007).Therefore, it was important especially for Great Britain to submit to all sorts of programs that would allow it to maintain a good and strong relation with its former colonies. In this sense, the Prize represented a connection mingled with the artistic environments of different countries from the Commonwealth, Ireland, or South Africa. It was yet another(prenominal)(prenominal) element that placed these countries together and defined their common cultural heritage from the past.Therefore, it can be argued that, diversion from its literary pass judgment, 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 interventions over the merits and awards given along the years, there have been some important name which have claimed the award, and at the homogeneous time, there were impressive newcomers which burst on the literary scene after winning the award. The outgrowth-year master 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 doubt certain controversies. This was largely over over collectible to the fact that the winner was known beforehand and it was considered that a free tilt and fairness had not yet been set in place. Still, the author dust in the annals 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 Thomas Keneally for Schindlers Ark, or 1989s Kazuo Ishiguros Remains of the Day. All these authors and more more 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 upgrade 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 experience incredible success (The Booker Foundation, 2007).Throughout the history of the prize, there has been a lot of controversy regarding the corpse of awarding the prize, and even the watching in itself. However, as the years went by, the set up of the prizes, including the actual event in which the prize was given would adapt to the rigors of an emerging global entertainment society. More exactly, if in the beginning the event did not enjoy the spotlight in the literary and television society, in 1976, Melvyn Bragg presented t he 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 thus far, due 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 touch the event took an ascending trend. In this sense, many have accused the prize committee of catering to either the needs of otherwise unknown authors in the right place at the right time or to the same few authors each year.Political agendas and profit motives have also stock lots caution 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 marketing 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, while the organizers and part of the media considers it to be the worlds most important literary award and has the power to transform the destinys of authors and even publishers (The Booker Prize Foundation, 2007), others view it as an enormously successful marketing vehicle for nominative authors and their publishers alike (Jacobson, 1997). Yet, for some of the winners, these two situations can find a creditable combination which can acknowledge the quality of their work and push the sales agreement of their books at the same time. The Booker Prize progenyish writers and first time novelistsOne of the most important thoughts of the Booker Prize is given by the possible impact it has on the actual winners. While there is little discussion on the advantages well known authors draw from winning t he prestigious prize, a more relevant discussion would be on the cause 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 work and therefore its impact can be better assessed. Indeed, the biggest impact the prize has is on the author who actually wins the award.In this sense, D B C Pierre won the award in 2003 with Vernon God dwarfish. His won of the prize is considered to be one of the most interesting surprises of the event. agree to the most reviews at the time, the writer was considered to be an down the stairsdog in comparison to his rivals, as It beat a shortlist including the first novel by Monica Ali, Brick Lane, which was the bookmakers front-runner and has been the biggest seller in the shops, and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the only established author to 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 dialog box assay to be on first time novelists as well as on established ones. This approach tends to give certain equilibrium to the awarding process and to take into account a wide variety of literary submissions. The selection 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 young teenager from Texas whose spiritedness evolves as he tries to panorama up the challenges of poverty, violence, and family misery was impressive for the panel of the decide who claimed that the book is a coruscating black comedy reflecting our alarm but also our fascination with fresh America (Jury, 2003). Indeed the emotional touch on the novel came from the authors own own(prenominal) experience as a dose 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 indeed 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 affect 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 immediately on the six oclock news as read in a novel and has for this agreement struck a chord with book lovers (Jury, 2003). Therefore, the actuality of the story combined with the drama of the personal history of the author made the novel receive the most acclaimed British literary award. The reviews were how ever 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 Daily Telegraph described his win as highly 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 reason makes the antics of most young writers look tame in the extreme (The Sydney cockcrow 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 chivalrous for the conservatory nature 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 acco unt 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 jacket crown 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 young 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 quintette 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, there were authors with more experience and with m ore public reflection 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 deform 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 case 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 being of considerable importance (Greer, 2003).S econdly, another advantage of young or debutant writers receiving this prestigious award is the wide recognitions they receive following the ceremony. Before 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 of import 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 distraint affecting local 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 proof of the the attention the issues addressed by her book rece ived 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 regnant political acuteness (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 cross culture issues and, at the same time, underlines the importance of the issues under discussion for the contemporary society. Probably one of the most important advantages young winners and first time novelists benefit from is the increase in sales of their books. some winners received not only wide acclaim from the critics, but also from the public.For instance, the 1978 winner, Iris Murdochs The Sea, The Sea () has a rate of continuing popularity which almost all of todays authors would give their eye 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 impression adaptation as a result 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 commercialization of the literary content in an attempt to win the prestigious prize.In this sense, because 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 whole kit may decrease 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 fall 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 commercialization of English-language literature (Huggan, 2001). Overall, it can be said that the Book er 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 mount 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 Desai,Kiran.The Inheritance of Loss. New York Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005. Ezard, John. Booker prizes long-term fame draft. The Guardian. 2004. 6 January 2008 Greer, W. R. Book canvass Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. 2003. 6 January 2008 Huggan, Graham. The Postcolonial Exotic Marketing the Margins. Routledge. New York, 2001. Jacobson, Warren. The Booker Prize. 1997. 6 January 2008 Jury, Louise. Debut novelist defies odds to win Booker prize.The Independent. 2003. 6 January 2008 Pierre, D. B. C. Vernon God Little. London Faber and Faber, 2005. Pryor, Fiona. Review The Inheritance of Loss. BBC News. 2006. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. About the prize. 2007. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. Hitting the headlines. 2007. 6 January 2008 The Booker Prize Foundation. The Booker Prize. 2008. 6 January 2008