Literary Prizes and Awards

Abstract

First paragraph: In a series of witty and perceptive vignettes of "literary life" published in the Guardian newspaper in the early 2000s, the cartoonist Posy Simmonds relates the lot of the contemporary creative writer, be it in front of the computer, at a book signing or launch party, or anxiously reading reviews at the breakfast table. One of the cartoons, "Dry Runs", depicts six writers, each of whom - it is implied - has been shortlisted for a major literary award. In the privacy of the bathroom, each rehearses his or her acceptance speech, should he or she be named, later that day, the winner of the prize.