Inspired by Tessa Hadley’s point about the importance of literary prizes, and itched by guilt at not have given some of them due attention, I did some research. It seems that all must have prizes. There are numerous literary awards in Britain. The Society of Authors offers 9. English Pen runs 4. The Authors’ Club has 3. While Commonwealth Writers limits itself to 2.
Then there are the host of individual prizes: the two James Tait Black awards, the Galaxies, the Costas, the Duff Cooper, the Hawthornden etc., etc., etc.
Tessa Hadley convinces of the need to recognise short stories — and that existing short fiction prizes are inadequate. But the odds are against a new prize being firmly established on such overpopulated ground. The still-birth of the Literature Prize, conceived of as an antidote to the Booker’s alleged populism, is a case in point. Obscure awards tend to beget obscure writers. Winners of first novel prizes are especially vulnerable. The Authors’ Club First Novel Award is one of 4 awards (by my reckoning) for first novels. I recognise about 10 winners from 47 years of competition: 10 authors who went on to writer other remarkable books.
Obviously, name recognition is vital to securing critical and commercial success, but it’s not clear that prizes provide that. The award of a grand prize is often the mark of an author’s pre-existing reputation. The list of James Tait Black winners illustrates the point. Evelyn Waugh won in 1952 for Men at Arms, which, though hugely entertaining, is not even his best farce. Veronica Wedgewood’s William the Silent, Prince of Nassau triumphed in 1944, five years after her towering achievement, Oliver Cromwell, was overlooked.
The Costa Awards are renowned, next to the Booker in eminence and able to publicise sustained literary achievement. Its decision to acknowledge short stories next year may yet be important, but how odd that the competition will stand outside the main proceedings. Either the genre is worthy of contention, or it isn’t.
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