The National Book Critics Circle Award is among the leading American book awards, and has consistently (or at least more consistently than the nearest competition, the (American) National Book Awards and the Pulitzers, in my opinion) picked deserving winners.
It also stands apart from the others in considering foreign and even translated works for the award (and, for example, 2666, by Roberto Bolaño, took the 2008 fiction prize).
I also particularly like this prize because it is basically open to all -- unlike the Pulitzer and National Book Award, which books must officially be submitted for (and have entry fees: the NBA charges an obscene $125 (and only allows publishers to nominate books), the Pulitzers charge $50).
Not only that:
The 20 per cent hurdle is, of course, a high one -- though it has apparently been reached in the past. But, to help things along, I think a more concerted effort is required, and I think it behooves us to organize a bit better and make more of a concerted effort to vote en masse.
I suggest NBCC members share the titles they feel most strongly about, which might serve as suggestions for members to vote on. Weblogs -- including the NBCC's own Critical Mass -- are one place to do so; Twitter seems another ideal forum: I'd suggest #NBCC20pct as a hashtag (the more obvious '#NBCC20%' is less ideal because the "%"-sign doesn't register in the hashtag when published on Twitter ...).
As noted, voting is open until 8 January. I plan to wait until near the deadline, and welcome suggestions I can throw my vote behind. (Recall: there are five categories: autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry).
I will publish the titles I plan to vote for in the week leading up to the deadline, but for now -- and as a starting point for others -- here the titles I am firmly behind for now:
I also particularly like this prize because it is basically open to all -- unlike the Pulitzer and National Book Award, which books must officially be submitted for (and have entry fees: the NBA charges an obscene $125 (and only allows publishers to nominate books), the Pulitzers charge $50).
Not only that:
Any book that receives votes from 20% of the NBCC voting membership is automatically included among the finalists that we announce during the week of January 14, 2013.All NBCC members (including myself) have until 8 January to vote for up to five books in each prize-category. (Members should have received an e-mail with the appropriate link; if not, please contact the NBCC so that you too can play along !)
The 20 per cent hurdle is, of course, a high one -- though it has apparently been reached in the past. But, to help things along, I think a more concerted effort is required, and I think it behooves us to organize a bit better and make more of a concerted effort to vote en masse.
I suggest NBCC members share the titles they feel most strongly about, which might serve as suggestions for members to vote on. Weblogs -- including the NBCC's own Critical Mass -- are one place to do so; Twitter seems another ideal forum: I'd suggest #NBCC20pct as a hashtag (the more obvious '#NBCC20%' is less ideal because the "%"-sign doesn't register in the hashtag when published on Twitter ...).
As noted, voting is open until 8 January. I plan to wait until near the deadline, and welcome suggestions I can throw my vote behind. (Recall: there are five categories: autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry).
I will publish the titles I plan to vote for in the week leading up to the deadline, but for now -- and as a starting point for others -- here the titles I am firmly behind for now:
- Fiction:
- Tirza, by Arnon Grunberg
- Seiobo There Below, by László Krasznahorkai; see the New Directions publicity page
- Sandalwood Death by Mo Yan
- Where Tigers are at Home, by Jean-Marie Blas de Roblès
- Tirza, by Arnon Grunberg
- Nonfiction:
- Global Crisis by Geoffrey Parker; see the Yale University Press publicity page