The Guardian view on arts prizes: a 20th-century phenomenon? | Editorial

This year’s Booker and Turner prizes tell us artists and even judges are repudiating the winner-takes-all award. It may be time to find new ways to celebrate the artsThe past year has been a curious one for cultural prizes. The Booker, when the judges failed to agree on a single winner, ended up being split between two authors, in a move that broke the rules and has been widely seen as a fudge. The Turner was upended, not by its judges but by its participants. The shortlisted artists asked to be considered as a collective; the result was that this year there were effectively four winners. Other prizes have seen winners splitting their winnings – author Olivia Laing, for example, voiced a similar sentiment to that put forward by the Turner artists, when she won the James Tait Black memorial prize for fiction this summer. Her novel, Crudo, she said, was written “against an era of walls and borders, winners and losers. Art doesn’t thrive like that and I don’t think people do either. We thrive on community, solidarity and mutual support.”It is too early to declare the death of arts prizes. But they are certainly showing some cracks. The James Tait Black is the oldest British literary award, dating back to 1919. But the most celebrated awards, the Booker and the Turner, date from the late 20th century – 1969 and 1984 respectively – and were made household names by institutional or industry backing, sponsorship and a presence on TV. The Costa prize, which started as the... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-12-15 18:25:01 UTC ]
News tagged with: #guardian view #put forward #dating back

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Guardian view on arts prizes: a 20th-century phenomenon? | Editorial'


Debut author wins Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

Publication Date: Wed, 09/02/2011 - 20:05 Debut author Sita Brahmachari has won the Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize for her coming-of-age novel about life, death, friendship and love. She was awarded the £5,000 prize this evening [9th February] for Artichoke Hearts, published by Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book prize #macmillan children


Booker Foundation launches Beryl Bainbridge prize

Publication Date: Tue, 08/02/2011 - 08:55 The Man Booker Foundation is to award a special prize to the late author Beryl Bainbridge, who was shortlisted five times for the accolade but never won. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Art inspires new Thames & Hudson travel guides

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 08:51 Thames & Hudson is to steer art aficionados through the museums and galleries of great cities in a new series of illustrated travel guides. The Art Guide series will begin this spring with two titles focusing on New York and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #modern art


Poet on winning Costa Book prize

Costa Book of the Year prize-winner, Jo Shapcott, explains her delight that poetry has been recognised by Costa two years running. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #costa book #jo shapcott #years running