Described by the judges as both “intriguing and hugely rewarding”; the shortlist spans a range of genres encompassing the coming-of-age tale, historical fiction and magical realism. The other two novels in contention for the prize are Before the Earthquake by Maria Allen (Tindal Street Press) and The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (Atlantic Books).
Elizabeth Buchan on behalf of the judges, commented:
“We were struck by the boldness, originality and ambition of these three very different writers. With settings ranging from early twentieth century southern Italy, to Carlisle in the 1980s to the mysterious St Hauda’s Land, their novels make up a diverse, intriguing and hugely rewarding shortlist.”
The Desmond Elliott Prize 2010 panel of judges is chaired by Elizabeth Buchan who is joined by William Skidelsky, Literary Editor of The Observer, and leading independent bookseller James Daunt, founder of Daunt Books.
William Hill bookmakers gave the following odds on this year’s shortlist:
Before the Earthquake by Maria Allen (Tindal Street Press) – 5/4 favourite
Talk of the Town by Jacob Polley (Picador) – 6/4 second favourite
The Girl with Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (Atlantic Books) – 5/2 third favourite
William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said, “Any one of these books would be a more than worthy winner. If this were a horse race I’d expect a dead-heat, but the judges have to find a clear winner and we narrowly favour Maria Allen’s all too topical novel.”
When choosing a winner, the judges will be looking for a novel of depth and breadth with a compelling narrative. The work should be vividly written and confidently realised and should contain original and arresting characters. Entries have been considered from all fiction genres.
The Prize was inaugurated in honour of publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott, one of the most charismatic and successful men in this field, who died in August 2003. He stipulated that his estate should be invested in a charitable trust that would fund a literary award “to enrich the careers of new writers”. Worth £10,000 to the winner, the Prize is intended to support new writers and to celebrate their fiction.
For more information, see www.desmondelliottprize.org
Add to Google
#1 by Ann Wilson on June 2, 2010 - 1:01 pm
Talk of the Town is a fantastic book. I read it as soon as I could get a copy. i love Jacob’s poetry and it was great to be able to immerse myself in a whole novel written by him. I loved the language and the descriptions of the landscape. I felt like I was there. In fact I think I’ll read it again soon. If you haven’t already get yourself a copy.