Not the Booker prize: vote now for the 2020 winner
It’s voting time in the 2020 Not the Booker prize. There are six books in contention:
Hashim & Family by Shahnaz Ahsan Underdogs: Tooth and Nail by Chris Bonnello
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Akin by Emma Donoghue
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Hello Friend We Missed You by Richard Owain Roberts
If you click through on the links above, you’ll be able to see my reviews of each title, and the accompanying comments. If you want the general gist: it’s been a good year. All of the books have been enjoyable. Some have been really excellent.
There have been two promising debuts, from Shahnaz Ahsan and Abi Daré, both telling emotionally resonant stories about women moving to big cities in very different ways. There’s been an original and touching story about autistic heroes from Chris Bonnello. Richard Owain Roberts’s Hello Friend We Missed You was a rare and surprising gem. And there were two highly readable novels from more established names that, I would argue, were the least interesting books on our list. Emma Donoghue’s Akin had a few poignant moments and some effective comedy, but was ultimately pretty silly. Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet was a disappointment, partly due to the weight of expectation that came after it won the Women’s prize, but mainly because of its strange anachronisms, and insistence that Shakespeare had a magic wife, rather than her being a real woman.
That’s my opinion anyway. If you disagree, it is your chance to set me right by making your voice heard and voting for your favourite. All you have to do is nominate your pick for the winner in the comments. Please make it easy for us by starting with “Vote:”, then specifying the title and author.
Just one vote, for one book, please – and we’d love to see 50 words or so explaining your choice. As ever, please don’t worry if you’ve changed your mind during the course of the competition. Democracy is an ongoing process. It’s fine to change your mind. It’s often the best thing to do.
Here’s the relevant clause from our terms and conditions:
If you read those conditions carefully, you’ll see that the public count is only part of the process. It’s an important part, as the winning book from the public count carries two votes into our judging meeting. There are three more votes up for grabs at that stage, to be cast by our excellent judges. These are people who have commented at each stage of the competition, helping to make the discussions fascinating and worthwhile – and consistently saying valuable things about each book. They are:
The 2020 Not the Booker judging meeting will be held at 11am on Monday 26 October. Each judge will have one vote. With one week to go, there’s everything to play for. Let’s vote!
of Long Time Passing was completed right where it began. In Room 207 of Francis Scott Key Elementary School, nearly 100 eight- and nine-year-old students joined us to record the vocals of
We Shall Overcome. The final mix of the album was completed in New York City a month later, just before our country was locked down by Covid-19.
In this time of crisis, we look to Seeger’s legacy – a legacy that demands that we summon all of the skill, experience and energy we can possibly muster to tackle the injustices of our country.
I should have phoned Pete Seeger 40 years ago and maybe we could have figured out a way to perform together. Then again, I should have also called
Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Lewis, too. This album is just a start. Through this journey across the life and creativity of a luminous icon of music, we are given a way to sing together, explore together and protest together.
Long Time Passing: Kronos and
Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger is out now on Folkways. Listen to it on Spotify, buy it on Amazon. David Harrington is violinist and founder of the Kronos Quartet.