While Rebecca is off eating turkey and doing whatever it is you Americans do at Thanksgiving – and I confess to having had no idea what Thanksgiving was until my American office-mate explained it to me yesterday – I have been left in charge of link love. Never having been one to shirk a challenge I am taking you on a tour of my favourite UK reads of the week. Tally ho, old chaps, etc.
In the week that Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary, I had my heart cockles warmed by this interview with the UK’s oldest newly-weds. He is 93, while she is a bright young thing of 85.
The category shortlists for The Costa Book Awards, one of the UK’s major literary prizes, has been announced this week. The prize is open to writers in the UK and Ireland. In the novel category my fingers are crossed for AL Kennedy, whose books I like very much. And she lives in my native Glasgow, which is even better.
In other UK literary award prize news, the nominations are also out for the annual Literary Review Bad Sex Awards! Britain’s “most dreaded literary prize” takes a wry glance at truly awful sex scenes in literature, and includes books from anywhere in the world. The Guardian has a good piece on it over here. Previous winners include Tom Wolfe, who apparently didn’t see the funny side.
The film of Philip Pullman’s first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy is coming out very soon. The Golden Compass film has its own website, and on it you can find out what your Daemon is. Mine is a spider called Thermius. I can’t tell you how much this distresses me as I have a raging case of arachnophobia. (From the front page of the site, click on the tab along the top that says ‘Daemons’)
OK, so it’s not all UK links. This cartoon really made me laugh.
My very favourite UK book blogger, Dovegrey Reader, writes in defense of writing in book margins.
…and following on from that, this site takes “defacing” books to a while new level. Half of me is appalled. The other half is just astonished at the sheer talent.
Well Kirsty, you may have your fingers crossed for AL Kennedy in the Costa Book Awards but mine are crossed for Rupert Thomson and his book Death of a Murderer. Thomson’s novels have been previously overlooked in the prize stakes, but I have high hopes that this time he will reign supreme!
Kate FT