Friday, July 04, 2008
Wales Book of the Year Cock Up--veinglory
I cannot imagine how horrible it must have been for Tom Bullough to be announced as winner of Wales Book of the Year, only to be told it was a mistake and sent back to his seat. Not only is the honor snatched away but also the ten thousand dollar prize that means a lot to a hard working writer.
On his blog the author writes: "I should say, to win the Wales Book Of the Year prize for ‘The Claude Glass’ was my absolute dream. No other prize could possibly have meant so much. It is a book exploding with love for Wales, the only pure result of ten years living in damp, remote, amenity-free cottages on an annual income sometimes as little as £4000, and I was so honoured to be included on the shortlist I was pretty much in tears. So, after a build-up of an hour and the announcement of Gareth Miles as the winner in the Welsh language category, you can imagine what it was like to be announced the winner in the English language category. Hundreds of people applauded. TV cameras zoomed in. I hugged Charlie, got to my feet and went to the stage… Only for the announcer to announce that he had made a mistake and that Dannie Abse had won instead."
You can read more about Mr. Bullough's novel, The Claude Glass, here. Hopefully the interest raised by the media coverage of the humiliating cock-up might help sell a few more copies of the book, although I doubt it will be ten, thousand pounds worth.... ¶ posted at 12:02 PM by Emily Veinglory
I cannot imagine how horrible it must have been for Tom Bullough to be announced as winner of Wales Book of the Year, only to be told it was a mistake and sent back to his seat. Not only is the honor snatched away but also the ten thousand dollar prize that means a lot to a hard working writer.
On his blog the author writes: "I should say, to win the Wales Book Of the Year prize for ‘The Claude Glass’ was my absolute dream. No other prize could possibly have meant so much. It is a book exploding with love for Wales, the only pure result of ten years living in damp, remote, amenity-free cottages on an annual income sometimes as little as £4000, and I was so honoured to be included on the shortlist I was pretty much in tears. So, after a build-up of an hour and the announcement of Gareth Miles as the winner in the Welsh language category, you can imagine what it was like to be announced the winner in the English language category. Hundreds of people applauded. TV cameras zoomed in. I hugged Charlie, got to my feet and went to the stage… Only for the announcer to announce that he had made a mistake and that Dannie Abse had won instead."
You can read more about Mr. Bullough's novel, The Claude Glass, here. Hopefully the interest raised by the media coverage of the humiliating cock-up might help sell a few more copies of the book, although I doubt it will be ten, thousand pounds worth.... ¶ posted at 12:02 PM by Emily Veinglory
