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On Friday, we will be announcing the winner of the eight cuts gallery prize for literature, the very finest literary thing to have happened in the past year. Take a moment to look back over the shortlisted candidates and give them all the support they richly deserve.
delicately interwoven modernist texts and weightless line-drawings that are all part of the same, impossible-to-pin-down story. Or maybe they stand alone. Mesmerising. And brilliant. And a sheer sentencecraft that’s unsurpassed.
the exception to the Year Zero rule because I’m allowed exceptions, and this is not really linked with Year Zero. Postmodern reflections on life? Satirical ezine? Also a print zine, distributed for free across the globe.
See, I don’t hate the “mainstream”. I hate that it fails to do things well. But Peirene is a sparkling exception. Stunning novellas in translation, presented with consummate care. It would have been easy to choose one of their books, such as Veronique Olmi’s shattering Beside the Sea. Easy but wrong, because however good the books, the Press itself Matters.
the only book on the list, but what a book. A rich, erotic, transgressive whirl through twenty-first century sexual mores and the world of fine art. Self-published and therefore ineligible for many major awards. Go figure that.
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I know there’s no vote but for what it’s worth my two finalists would be Mut@tus and Peirene Press. Why? Personal taste wins out over intellectual appreciation – sorry I’m shallow that way
The former has richness, sparkle and life-affirming warmth and Joan just went for it and self-published. Yeah – go girl!
The latter because of its beauty – beauty in its genesis, execution and output – Olmi’s book makes you gasp with its exquisite, tender pain.
The other two finalists have a lot to commend them in originality – both in form and expression -but my wowometer didn’t register quite as highly.
That’s my tuppence worth.
All the best to all four and to eight cuts for being thoughtful enough to showcase these guys.
Anne
I talked a lot about Peirene tonight at this ownderful event
http://www.andotherstories.org/jericho-sessions/
I agree about both the Olmi book’s content and the sheer unctuous feel of the books. What Peirene do is fantastic. And I am absolutely thrilled that Joan will be reading not once but twice at events in November.
Where will the cards fall? …..
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