It is just before and for the tenth time since the old IFFP prize became part of the booker we have read and voted on the long list of books and came up with our own shortlist as we have for the last ten plus years. So we decided by a mix of voting and a quick chat this week about our winner this year and our as ever honourable mention books. After what with the old IFFP prize shadowing has been 15 years of shadowing reading the long list for each of those years. We feel this is our last with the booker international for a while we will be carrying on as a shadow jury but for a different prize we will announce that at a later date thou.
We had a close run race but this was the vote favourite by a nose. In our discussion we felt it was the best written book on the shortlist showing the versatility of Olga Raven as a writer for me the sheer atmosphere of the book and the writing was stunning haunting and it captured the feel of the time.
Now I must say for me this was my favourite just by a nose but we are a team and we felt that The wax child was the better written book. This book does leave you thinking what is real and what isn’t and is he the husband at the end of it.
My thoughts on this year
I feel this year long list was the most even book wise for a few years. No real gem of a stand out book unfortunately Schattenfroh which was that sort of book isn’t eligible for this year. It was a year of fair reads the few stand out books made our shortlist there wasn’t a book we all hated like there has been a few times. But I feel after 15 years I started the old IFFP shadow and have been involved for all bar one year and that year I did read the long list so that is well over 160 book over the last 15 years. The time is right for a change we love our conversations about books and the time is right for the group of us to change to a new prize from next year!! Just a short post from me I’m sure some of my fellow jurors will write longer post till next year !
I’m glad to see that you thought so highly of The Remembered Soldier, I thought it was a truly memorable book. (I haven’t read The Wax Child. I borrowed it from the library but then decided that I didn’t want to read it after all.
All those shadow juries! What a magnificent contribution you make individually and collectively to translated fiction!
It’s been a long time Lisa .I’m pleased we picked the two books that missed the cut they were both good books ones you feel will stand the test of time.
That’s how I felt about the women’s prize shortlist. LOL I guess it means I’m out of touch with zeitgeist, but I’m starting to think that’s a good thing…
Yes theorizes seem aimed at younger readers more than they used to
Yes. But as John Banville said (see here https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/10/26/absolutely-and-forever-2023-by-rose-tremain/) some readers are retreating into ‘infantilism’. I think the growth of YA and the way it dominates the secondary curriculum means that many adults have never read an adult book. And some of these are decision-makers in the book industry. It’s not just their loss, it’s ours too.
Great if poignant write up Stu – look forward to seeing what we do next year.
NB it should be 2026 in the header not 2028. Also isn’t this the 15th year – started in 2012, ended in 2026 = 15 years unless one was skipped due to timing of prize years?
Thanks hadn’t notice I put the wrong year and yes had miscountthe number of years yes looking forward to a new challenges next year
I also enjoyed The Wax CHild!