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NINE BRITS, A SOUTH African, a Malaysian and an Indian were given the nod by this year’s Man Booker International Prize judges but there was no place for Irish author John Banville.
The exclusion of the former winner has shocked some, as has the omission of other favourites Martin Amis, Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan.
But enough about who’s not in the running, one of these 12 books will be taking home the prestigious honour (and a cheque for £50,000) on 16 October:
According to the five-strong panel of judges, goodness, madness and bewildering urban change are among the themes of this year’s long list.
Chair Peter Stohard explained that the panel did not intentionally “set out to reject the old guard” but “the new came powering through” after a year of critical argument.
Debut novels were particularly welcomed with four making the list and of the 12 writers nominated, only one is a previous winner – Hilary Mantel. There was no age discrimination either, with the eldest nominee being Andre Brink at 77 and the youngest 27-year-old Ned Beauman.
One of the most-well established English-language literary prizes awarded today, the Man Booker is only open to entrants from the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth.
Not only is the monetary prize generous, a win usually signals box office success. Last year’s winner, Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending, became a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic.
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With only nine per cent of the street lamps being ornate, it means that DCC really don’t care about the finishing touches to or streets. Example: Stephen’s green along the Loretto stretch has fantastic architecture, but shitty looking Motorway style street lights. This is lazy and careless planning. Why not take the ornate lampposts from in front of the office blocks on Earlsfort terrace and put them on the Green, or if that’s too expensive, then get replica lamp posts for that stretch of street.
Street furniture in our key streets really should be looked at in more detail. Finishing touches to or streets, if done right can make residents feel better about their city.
What about the five lamps ?.
@itzme: go hang your bollocks on them !
Looks lovely, clean up Dublin though and then I’ll go have a look, brought my kids into town to see the crimbo lights, two drunks kicked head off each other on packed Luas then saw a junkie on ground blood everywhere, her boyfriend saying sorry her shouting f/off, after 10 minutes my 10 year old with tears in her eyes asked why we have to see that just to see some lights, got a taxi home, never ever again
Loads of the old ones have been replaced, and been replaced badly when they could easily have been preserved. This article is mishearing. The corporation’s efforts to salvage and promote this little bit of Dublin character is pathetic as usual. There is a nice display of various old ones in Merrion square that look original.
That one on Fr Matthew Square is a real gem
Most of us genuine Dubs have pissed up against at least one of them
The one with the overhead tram cables hanging of them are lovely.
Have any of them been repainted in the past 5 years?
Last time I walked around the Customs house, the lamp standards were a mucky disgrace, & as for Bus Arus, the one time architectural gem has declined into a slum like appearance.
Don’t know who in the octopus of state bodies is responsible, but it seems nonsensical to spend tax money promoting tourism, when simple maintenance is neglected.
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