Category: words

• Britain’s richest prize for writing, the Whitbread, went ga-ga for celebrities this year when it chose its judges. “For the first time in the 30 years of the awards, half the judges are showbiz, television or sporting faces rather than authors or critics. Last year Whitbread drew criticism over the choice of one judge, the actress and model Jerry Hall.” – The Guardian

“An autographed and hand-written chapter of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses has raised a record $1.5 million at auction – and is going back to Ireland. It was bought by the National Library of Ireland, in Dublin.” – BBC

Websites have become a step beyond the chat show – writers’ websites try to make friends with readers, all in an effort to sell more books. If the efforts are somewhat clumsy… – New York Times

Spanish writer Francisco Umbral has won the Cervantes Prize – the Spanish-speaking world’s highest literary honor. – Nando Times

A book and letter that seemed to reveal a warm friendship between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sinclair Lewis have been proven fake. – Nando Times

“The Dymocks Prize is modelled on Britain’s Booker Prize: It is given to a published work, and its organisers hope that, like the Booker, the buzz over the shortlisted books will result in public interest and rising book sales.” – The Straits Times (Singapore)

“A newly revealed handwritten manuscript of the longest and most important chapter of James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’, which came to light last summer after being kept in a blue Moroccan-leather slipcase for close to 80 years, is scheduled to be auctioned on Thursday at Christie’s in Manhattan.” – New York Times

• A psychological assessment of A.A. Milne’s children’s books suggests Winnie the Pooh’s seemingly tranquil forest is full of characters afflicted by obsessive compulsion behaviour, anxiety, dyslexia and severe depression. “It is clear to our group of modern neurodevelopmentalists that these are, in fact, stories of Seriously Troubled Individuals, many of whom meet [medically standard] criteria for significant disorders.” – National Post (Canada)

Stephen King’s decision to pull the plug on his online serial novel because not enough readers were paying for it, has publishers lowering their expectations for online publishing. – The Age (Melbourne) (AP)

Nobel literature laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez says being diagnosed with lymphatic cancer last year was an impetus to get him to write his memoirs. “More than a year ago I was put under treatment for three months for lymphoma, and today I am surprised at the enormous stroke of luck this stumbling block has been in my life.” – Dallas Morning News