My Nobel literature four I know and four on my radar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its that time of year again when its the Nobel after missing last year there will be two winners the feeling is one female and probably both none English writers. This still brings up the chance of the few writers that well regard in their countries and have yet to reach us in English my tip of these is Ulrich Holbein a left-field choice a writer that uses others words and his owns any way for this year I have chosen to pick four writers i have reviewed and four I am yet to get too.

Cesar Aira- The Argentinean is prolific as a writer I have only reviewed him once although I have few more on my shelves he is experimental in style and maybe hadn’t grabbed me yet in the two books I had read. But he is one that would be a great choice.

Andres Neumann – Again another writer from Argentina is maybe a personal choice as I like him as a writer so much he has written novels and short stories I have reviewed a few and I know he has another book due in translation next year. My favorite is still travelers of the century 

Scolastique Mukasonga The Rwandan writer books capture the horrors of the  Rwandan Genocide I have reviewed two books by her and know there is another book by her in English available. I really touched by her tale of a school caught up in the genocide Our lady in the nile

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o The Kenyan has been mention as a Nobel winner since I have been blogging and maybe it is his year I have reviewed his best-known book A grain of wheat

Now to the four, I haven’t read I have books by three of them and am waiting for a book by the fourth.

Maryse Conde A French writer from Guadeloupe her best know book is Seug I have the recent Penguin modern classic edition of it. She won the alternative Nobel last year when the proper prize was canceled.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya  The Russian is maybe isn’t as well known as she should be her best k=novel Daniel Stein Interpreter her books on read Russia are described as she is known for creating vivid characters who populate fiction that is set in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras and often includes elements of history and science. I have The funeral party by her to read.

Mircea Cărtărescu The Romanian is a name that has been high on the list of betting the last few years I am under the Belief his best book called Solenoid has yet to reach us in English although on twitter it has a publisher  for it I have vol1 of Blinding his three vol work but not sure if the other two will be published a Nobel win would maybe get them out. 

Gerald Murnane – The Australian is an outside chance if they chose an English writer I can’t see it this time maybe next year.

Then we have others like Murakami, Tokarczuk, Nadas, and Krasznarhorkai in the betting. What are your thoughts?

Nobel thoughts 2016

Well today is the day , we see who has won the nobel prize for literature. As ever I have been following the betting for the last week or so . Unlike other years the betting has been fairly stable and the names on the list the same as other years. The lead name this year is Ngugi Wa Thiong’o the Kenyan writer , he writes a lot about the colonial and post colonial times in his native land. I have reviewed him  . Then next on the list is Haruki Murakami , I still think it isn’t his time yet , I know others think it is but for me he needs to write that one defining book. Then we have Adonis the Syrian poet has been on the list for many years , I have once feature a poem by him about childhood. THen we Have Don Delillo has risen in recent days in the betting now for me he is maybe the best American to win ,he has written the book so to speak Underworld is a true epic , I have reviewed him once on the blog . The we have Jon Fosse I read him earlier this year and for me he maybe along side Thiong’o is the best place to be the nobel winner .his writing capture the feeling of modern Scandinavia . Well there we go , of course there is a number of outsiders as ever , now for me there is Javier Marias, Laszlo Krasznahorkai and Peter handke all writer that would be worthy winners but maybe not yet , but wouldn’t be shocked if they did win today.Then there would be the shock winner not translated into english yet , lets say Ulrich holbein for example.  So 11.45 today we find out have you thoughts ?

The Republic of Consciousness Prize for small Presses announcement

I Have published the announcement of a new prize on the UK for small presses. I am really happy to see this prize as many of the Publishers I review books from are from small publishers. I feel the passionate people I know Like Susan from Istros Stefan from And other stories and Jacques from Fitzcarraldo editions need to be acknowledged for the hard work they do in opening the eyes of readers to challenging literature .

Judges Announced for The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses

http://www.republicofconsciousness.com/prize/

Submission Deadline: 31st October 2016

Longlist Announcement: 30th November 2016

Shortlist Announcement: 2 January 2017

Winner Announcement: 16 February 2017

Prize: min of £3000: £2000 to the press, and £1000 to the writer, plus a bottle of Amarone each.

The Republic of Consciousness is delighted to announce the selection of judges for the first Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses.

Launched earlier this year, by award-winning novelist Neil Griffiths, the prize seeks to celebrate “small presses producing brilliant and brave literary fiction”.

The judges of the award are made up of a selection of independent booksellers and bookshop owners from across the UK and reflect the award’s aim to highlight the important role that booksellers play in helping to bring quality literature to the attention of readers. It’s often those hand-sold copies or bookseller recommendations that will be a reader’s first introduction to the world of independent publishing, and the relationship between the booksellers and independent publishers cannot be overstated.

“We wanted the judging panel to comprise independent booksellers because the spirit behind the prize is to support the more vulnerable sections of the publishing community, and given the prize is for independent presses, it made sense to approach booksellers who share a similar ethos. This we did, and we are thrilled with the response. Across the 9 judges we have a strong regional spread, with a good a mix of urban and rural locations. Each judge brings something different to the prize, but they all share experience, dynamism and a willingness to take risks, perfectly mirroring the kind of presses the prize aims to support.’” Neil Griffiths, founder of The Republic of Consciousness & co-chair

Submissions for the prize are now officially open – to UK and Irish publishers with a maximum of five full-time people working for them – and will close at the end of October. Each publisher is allowed to submit one novel or single author collection of short stories for this year, with one wild card call-in allowed per judge.

A shortlist of eight novels will be announced in January 2017, followed by the winner announcement in February 2017.

Neil Griffiths is also putting out an appeal to fellow authors and readers alike to help support the prize with donations which will go towards the final prize money. Already a great financial boost to most small presses, an increase in the amount will make an immense difference to the winners.

Judging Panel:

Neil Griffiths (President of The Republic of Consciousness & co-chair)

Awarding-winning novelist of Betrayal in Naples (Penguin), winner of the Writers’ Club First Novel Award and Saving Caravaggio (Penguin), short-listed for the Costa Best Novel Award 2007. His new novel Family of Love will be published in 2017.

Marcus Wright (co-chair)

Tax inspector, bibliophile, and sometime writer on jazz.

Sam Fisher – Burley Fisher Books (London)

Sam Fisher has worked at Camden Lock Books for the last three years and together with Jason Burley opened Burley Fisher Books – specialists in new titles by independent presses – in Kingsland Road this February.

Gary Perry – Foyles (Charing Cross Road, London)

Assistant Head of the Fiction Department at the Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road, Gary has been with Foyles for six years and works hard to promote fiction in translation and independent publishing.

Anna Dreda – Wenlock Books (Shropshire)

Owner of Wenlock Books and founder of the Wenlock Poetry Festival, Anna Dreda was also one of the judges for the 2014 Costa Poetry Awards.

Helen Stanton – Forum Books (Northumberland)

Owner Helen Stanton previously worked for Waterstones, Headline and Canongate before taking over Forum Books nearly 5 years ago.

Lyndsy Kirkman – Chapter One Books (Manchester)

Former NHS stem cell scientist, Lyndsy Kirkman, is one half of the dynamic sibling duo (along with Christine Cafun) who opened Chapter One, a bookstore, café and performance space, in Manchester last summer.

Emma Corfield – Book-ish (Crickhowell, Powys, Wales)

Owner of the independent family run bookshop based in the rural market town in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Book-ish is one of the regional winners of the British Book Industry Awards’ Independent Bookshop of the Year. Praised for being a “small shop that punches well above its weight” they were also awarded a James Patterson Bookseller Grant of £5000 for their book bus project.

Gillian Robertson – Looking Glass Books (Fife, Scotland)

Founder of independent bookshop Looking Glass Books, Gillian is committed to using the shelves in her shop to shine a light on the gems offered by the many brilliant small independent presses in the UK & beyond.

Be back til then here is some music I’ve been listening too .

Sorry I decided to length my blogging break a few days more after I was given the all clear to type a lot , but I decide to wait a bit longer .But  now have a sizeable backlog of books to review as I am up to book 24 of the year .So till I get back hopefully on Thursday I’ll share a few recent songs I’ve been listening too .

The sons of bill latest album has been compared to classic REM in some magazines , but to me it has classic americana roots .

He has been around a while this is his second collaboration with the great Mark Lanegan dark and moody as you’d expect .

Last not so much as a band but a film Frank I watched recently partly based on the great Frank sidebottom who also wore a large paper mache head .Maybe fassbinders best performance .

How have you all been ?

Ouch

Well as many of you may have seen on Facebook and Twitter , I had a bad slip on the ice on Saturday .I decided to venture out as the snow and ice we had was melting away and didn’t seem that bad .I managed to get into Chesterfield changed my library books but then walk down to a department store I like too see if they had any bargain jeans in the sale and crash bang wallop I went down extending and landing on my left arm .I was so lucky some kind member of the public game walk me too shop saw the first aid came but as they said it be a while for an ambulance so this kind soul gave me a lift to a&e .I was seen had x ray next think called into a separate room Mr Allen you’ve dislocated your elbow we are going have to sedate you and put  it back in place and you gave to sign this now I’d spoken to Amanda just thought I’d badly bruised it and I’d maybe have some pain relief and go home .So I rung Amanda and let her know she had to maybe come up and help me home .So the next thing was some drugs in my arm some one touching my arm and next thing waking up with my arm in a cast .I’m back today hoping it won’t keep me off work to long and I may get more use of my hand as I’ve had to type this one handed on my phone app .I’m having to read off my kindle as I can use it one handed to read .

Je suis Charlie

The dawning of a new age welcome to chrome

Well for last eighteen months I had been blogging on my laptop with a broken screen (that I had broken myself by carrying it downstairs by the screen ) with two-thirds of it actually useable ,but as time has gone on the pizels have start to disappear ,as little threads of  black started spreading across the screen making it slowly hard to see my wordpress page and navigate it ,so I had a bit of luck this week when my father gave me some money to celebrate the birth of of my brothers new babe my new nephew Jack .So I decide it was time to try a new OS the Chrome OS as a chromebook is cheaper than a basic laptop and for my needs mainly blogging is perfect so  I give you my new babe the tosihiba chromebook ,I like to think it looks a bit like a macbook air at a glance which is great as it cost a lot less .So hopefully I’ll be able to blog a bit more as the chromebook has such a quick boot up time I will be free to blog in a spare few mins to get a few more post written every month hopefully .

ooh I’ve got it and it has stickers in it Murakami love

I decide to go and but the new hardback of the latest Haruki Murakami novel Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and his years of pilgrimage ,was delighted to find the mentioned stickers are in this edition ,I’m debating leaving them as they are or using them to decorate the outside of my new laptop when I manage to save up for it later in the year as I think they’d look rather dashing on it myself
I love extra Murakami bits I have the diary from a few years ago and the app they did as well also seen the film of one of the books
Do you collect extra bits connected to writers ?

Getting old a scare and then hope winston my dog

Well it was all going so well then life jumps up and bites you .So as you all know the blog is called after my wonderful dog winston .So Wednesday night I was out in morning and walked winston we got part way into his walk and his back legs stopped working and he fell on his side ,I panicked and just didn’t know what to do luckily after a few minutes coax he got up and we slowly managed to get home and Winston rested .Now I should gone to vets but as I life hand to mouth every month had no money and my dad who usually helps is in the states for a month I had to wait rest him luckily was off thurs so we spent quiet day but he still need to go and do his business outside so he went ok in the morning but in the evening his leg went just as we just got in the house he panicked ran round jumped on sofa trapped said leg and took over an hour to settle .So to yesterday after winston settled on thurs night he didn’t move I left him as I had to work Friday but amanda had managed to get the morning off as we live some distance from our vets and my brother was only free in evening so I got home from work scared panicky about what the vet would say ,he was so subdued since Thursday but he got up just before we Went we took a short walk his leg seemed better , even behaved in the car which he usually hates and in the vets waiting .Do the door opened and my heart worried the vet looked as best he could as my lively winston isn’t the most people friendly dog outside amanda and I he tends to get over excited or grumbly when touched too much by anyone .So vet said he thought it was probably arthritis and a course of tablets may ease symptoms and see how he goes the joy for me as I thought the worst I mean Winston is ten and half I know he is a good age but he has been very healthy before this a broken leg as a pup was caused by himself running into a hole and last year a cyst on the tail have been the only things that apart from usual dogo things he has been to vet for ,he has a tricky tum but I’ve managed that over the years .So if I take a day or two to come back my head is still in a real twist I don’t cope well with winston being ill he means so much to me and he has helped me in the lowest parts of my life in the past .He has always just been there and apart from Amanda is the second most important thing in my heart .In hindsight I feel bad I missed signs that this was creeping up on him the slow walks upstairs the occasional lie and roll In the grass which he has done always but more in recent month may have been more for the arthritis than for fun as they used to be .Anyway sorry to bore you with my life details but there you go
Ps I do have insurance on winston but I need to pay and then claim back which in hindsight as well maybe was best plan to go with

Hi there

I know it’s the middle of Spanish lit month And I’ve been quiet well I spent weekend with amanda we had an evening at the pub in the sun then as you see above went to watch the Tour de France pass though Sheffield having watch the tour for at least the last twenty five years it was a chance I couldn’t miss but five hours in the sun took its toll on me .I had hope to write a review on Monday but got sidelined after work and was on first of three night shifts last night ,but I’m off next week so will return and storm in with a load of reviews for the second half of Spanish lit month ,sorry for not commenting on every ones lovely reviews for Spanish lit month loved reading them will come round next week and comment .thanks for taking part been great seeing everyone joining In