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There seems to be something of a trend afoot, in having celebrities sit on awards juries for things it’s unlikely they know much about (see Canada Reads). In the UK, the Orange Prize now has a young pop singer sitting in. Is this good or bad for the award and good or bad for literature? Nicholas Lezard ponders.
It was with mixed feelings that we learned that Lily Allen, the singer and songwriter, is to be a judge for this year’s Orange prize for fiction. On the one hand, we are pleased for her, for she is an intelligent and talented lyricist and musician, one who deserves her fame despite her appalling father; and excitingly young (at 22, the youngest judge ever for the Orange).On the other hand, we groan. The Orange has always had the whiff of the publicity angle about it (daring the conservative male literary establishment to get upset about a women-only prize); and indeed, in commenting on this latest development we are, regrettably, complicit in their latest stunt.
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December 12th, 2007 at 11:33 am
How is this not completely detestable?
December 12th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Which brings to mind the question of just who should be judging literary awards. Certainly every jury needs writers and publishing professionals — a jury of ones peers — but I believe there is a definite place for ACTUAL readers, people outside of the industry and profession who can afford a certain amount of perspective (sorely lacking from many of the all-pro juries we usually see). If that outside voice also happens to be a high-profile media figure which can draw attention to a literary prize, there’s little harm in that (and a degree of benefit). That’s assuming, of course, that the judge can and actually does read: wasn’t Posh Spice a judge for the Whitbread one year, even after commenting that she never read?