The Different Book Awards

To write a book and actually finish it is already a gargantuan feat. But for a book to win a prestigious award is something else! It will immediately push the work to a different class and send the author to the moon!

There’s no better way to gain positive noise for your work than to actually win a prestigious award given by a sophisticated and credible body of literary critics, publishers and readers. There’s no other better way to say: “This book is the best this year. We know what we’re talking about, so read it.” Profitability wise, awards are good marketing, it pushes the book at the forefronts of the bookstore displays and you can actually brag about it in the cover page: “Winner of the Booker prize and so and so” The consumer will already feel encouraged and smart about purchasing a copy. It’s also good for the author. Like winners in Oscars, it pushes the author to the A-List crowd.  Essentially, writers don’t really need awards to measure their success and value, for me any writer is already an artistic genius, but I must admit that to be recognized by the art itself must really mean a huge boost of confidence and renowned self-worth. Super big wild cherry on the cake!

I’ve randomly seen books with acclaimed notations of being shortlisted or even long listed for these awards. I’ve read tons of books that are award worthy and I just finished Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451, which is a National Book Prize winner. Now I’m starting with Arundhati Roy’s Man Booker Prize winner, The God of Small Things. There are so many awards and most of them are familiar, but aren’t you curious what those awards stand for? Why they won it? And what type of award giving body bestowed it? Last year, Eleanor Catton’s Luminaries gained much noise as she bested works and nabbed the Booker Prize Award at the age of 28 yrs. Old! But what is a Booker Prize award anyway?

Next time you shop for a book and you see a distinction of being  “short listed” even “long listed” or the winner of these popular literary awards, it’s always worth it to stop and look. And if you’re planning to buy the book anyways and it happens to win something, well at least you’re making a good choice right there.

Below is the list of most popular literary awards you might already be familiar with:

MAJOR AWARDS, Open to all nationalities, most popular:

1.    Nobel Prize in Literature

a.     Since 1901

b.     Award to an author annually from any country

c.      The Swedish Academy decides who will receive the prize each year sometime in October.  They decide on the most outstanding work of the author ‘as a whole’ (all samples of the author). This echoes author’s outstanding contribution to literature.

d.     The nominations are from members of the academy, members of any literary academy, professors of literature and language, former Nobel laureates and presidents of writer’s organizations. Thousands are received each year and it will be long and short listed to 5. Prize averages around 1Million USD with diploma, citation and eternal bragging rights.

e.     Winners: Alice Munro (2013), Doris Lessing (2007), Orhan Pamuk (2006), Jose Saramago (1998), Toni Morrison (1993) Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982)

2.    Man Booker Prize International Awards

a.     Since June 2004

b.     Award given to any work published in English or generally available English translation. Award is given only every 2 years.

c.      The Award is sponsored by the MAN Group and rewards one’s authors continued “creativity, development and overall contribution to fiction in the world stage” Like Nobel, this award is given to the author’s BODY OF WORK rather than to one title.

d.     Unlike Noble, the judges of the year make up their own lists and no submissions are entertained.

e.     Winners: Alice Munro (2009), Philip Roth (2011), Chinua Achebe (2007)

3.    Franz Kafka Prize Award

a.     Since 2001

b.     Literary Award in honor of Franz Kafka, the German Language novelist.

c.      The award giving body is led by the Franz Kafka Society by having a “"humanistic character and contribution to cultural, national, language and religious tolerance, its existential, timeless character, its generally human validity and its ability to hand over a testimony about our times."

d.     Recipients receives 10,000 USD, diploma and bronze statuette

4.    America Award

a.     Since 1994

b.     Provides the modest alternative to Nobel

c.      Award giving body comprise of 6-8 American literature artists (novelists, poets, playwrights and critics).

d.     Award does not entail prize money

e.     Winners: Jose Saramago, Harold Pinter, Ko  Un

Other more popular awards

1.             Pulitzer Prize

a.     Since 1917

b.     Award for achievements in newspaper, journalism, literary and musical composition. Literature solely for American writers specializing in Fiction, Drama, history, biography specifically connected to USA.

c.      Administered by Columbia University in New York. It was established by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer American, Hungarian born publisher.

d.     In 20 categories, each winner will receive 10,000 USD

2.             National Book Award

a.     Since 1936 solely an annual US Literary Award.

b.     This is to celebrate the best in American literature divided into sub categories (Fiction, non-fiction)

c.      Administered first by American Bookseller’s Association. Award is given to 1 book in 4 categories (fiction, non fiction, poetry, young people’s literature)

d.     Publishers nominate books but panelists may request particular nominations from publishers. Panel includes 5 writers who are remarkably known in their field.

e.     Finalists get 1000 USD, medal and citation. Winner gets 10,000 and a bronze sculpture

3.             National Book Critics Circle Award

a.     Since 1976

b.     Annual American Literary Awards to promote the finest books and reviews published in English.

c.      National Book Critics Circle administer these awards, which are divided into sub categories (Fiction, Non Fiction, Biography, Memoir and Criticism)

d.     Judges are volunteer Directors of the organization and elected judges by voting members (professional book review editors, book reviewers)

4.             Nebula Award for Science Fiction

a.     Since 1966

b.     Annually recognizes the best works in Fantasy and Science Fiction published in the US

c.      It is awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a non profit organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. This is science fiction’s most prestigious awards together with the HUGO award.

d.     This is subdivided in different categories (Script, novel, novella, short story, Novellette)

e.     Nominees and winners are chosen by the SFWA

5.             Booker Prize or Man Booker Prize for Fiction

a.     Since 1968 originally sponsored by the company Booker-McConnell. Literary prize awarded each year for a full-length novel written in English by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland and New Zealand. Beginning in 2014, they will entertain works from all over the world as long as their work is in English and published in the UK.

b.     Booker Prize Association administers the award since 2002 and the primary sponsor is the investment company called Man Group.

c.      Award is at 50,000 pounds, which makes it one of the world’s richest literary prizes.

d.     Award commences upon forming an advisory committee (writer, 2 publishers, literary agent, bookseller, librarian and chairperson of Booker Prize association). They are tasked to select judges, all of whom are leading literary critics, writers and public figures. 

So clearly there are various internationally recognized awards that celebrate greatness in the field of literature. The awards provided in the above list are just a few more popular ones. Thank God for these literary critics and sponsors who continuously recognize a reputable work, one of the oldest sources of intelligent entertainment known to mankind. Regardless of the type of literature awards, which we now have a background of, you’ll know the next time you’re thinking of buying this recognized book, there’s definitely some sort of credibility and worthiness in those pages.

But then again, it’s true that not all award-winning literature speaks to us as much as it touched these critics. Books in a way could be subjective considering the timing it was read and the personal taste of the reader. But nevertheless, even for books that I do not understand or I think that’s completely beyond my taste, I respect them all for what they are. I still silently congratulate the authors for achieving something that actually transcends time and space. They have, in my eyes, become the perfect case of immortality. With awards or not, best sellers or not, writing a book is not a walk in the park, finishing a book in itself already deserves an amount of applause and recognition. The awards are as they say just the icing to the author’s cake.