Prizes Prizes Prizes

by Alex Aslett

October has seen the award of two of the literary world's most coveted prizes: the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the Man Booker Prize.  The Nobel Prize went to the Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexeivich:

You can find out more about her and her work here:http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2015/oct/08/everything-you-need-to-know-about-svetlana-alexievich-winner-of-the-nobel-prize-in-literature

The librarians have also put together a display of books written by or about Nobel prize-winners - not just those in the field of literature - which can be seen in the cabinet by the Montgomery Room.  Figures represented include Nelson Mandela, Seamus Heaney, Aung San Suu Kyi , Milton Freeman, Linus Pauling, Martin Luther King and Malala Yousafzai.  There's also a list of the rest of the 2015 Nobel prize-winners.

The Man Booker Prize this year went to A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.  Set in Jamaica and the US, the book focuses on the events surrounding the shooting of singer Bob Marley at his Kingston home in 1976. 

It is told in the voices of an eclectic cast of characters - gangsters, politicians, hitmen, groupies and CIA agents - some of whom are dead.  In exploring the aftermath of the shooting, the novel also charts the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic in the US in the 1980s. 

You can find an article by Marlon James and the other five Booker-shortlisted writers, exploring the genesis of their novels, here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/oct/10/man-booker-prize-2015-shortlist-novels

Book of the Week

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Recommended by Alessandro Comoli

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel written from a unique perspective. It is based on a true story concerning Satrapi’s childhood and upbringing during the turbulent time of the Iraqi-Iranian war and the aftermath in Iran and Austria.

The book commences in Iran, before the aforementioned war. The protagonist was brought up by radical Marxists who supported the Islamic revolution and overthrowing of the Shah. The war occurred largely because after various negotiations relating to the resources of the country, with the UK and the U.S., the Iranian people saw the Shah as a puppet and rebelled until they felt justice had been done.

National Poetry Day

Yes, today is John Colet Day. But it's also National Poetry Day -

- and this year is the 21st anniversary of the UK's annual celebration of poetry, and all things poetical.

The day is a chance to break with the tyranny of prose for 24 hours by sharing poetry in every conceivable way. Every year has a different theme: this year's theme is light.

You can follow events on Twitter, via the hashtags #nationalpoetryday and #thinkofapoem. The most creative of the day's tweets will be added to the Blackpool Illuminations.

Poems on the Underground will be broadcasting live at Covent Garden and Oval tube stations throughout the day, and the BBC will be launching 'Contains Strong Language', a season dedicated to the disruptive power of poetry: for more details, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/27wq69x1zsvNcPbcJmFrJfF/about-the-season

Book of the Week

The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Recommended by Robert Daniel

The Talented Mr Ripley is a very good book which explores the inner turmoils of a charming, yet tortured murderer set against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful places in Europe (the Amalfi coast, Venice, Paris, Rome and the Cote d'Azur).

The story is gripping as Ripley impersonates Dickie Greenleaf, the young man whom he murdered and whose identity he stole. It is fascinating to see Ripley adapt his speech, looks and lifestyle to become Dickie, but the image soon begins to crumble and Ripley must adapt and improvise to survive. The way by which Highsmith explores this change is masterful and is what the book is really about. Ripley himself blows any other characters out of the water, making them seem boring and forgettable compared to him, and his inner dialogue is brilliant. I especially loved the scene where he plans, with a chilling logic and calm, how he will murder Dickie the following day. Of course, the locations are also incredible, especially as Highsmith uses different writing styles and description to give a sense of the atmosphere of each place, but this is really in the background compared to Ripley's brilliant character.

In conclusion, The Talented Mr Ripley is an excellent crime thriller written from an unusual perspective which I would recommend highly.