Big Prizes Go to a Pair of Ladies

Here's the reaction from the interwebs.

Herta Mueller/Muller/Müller picks up the Nobel...

Herta Muller wins Nobel Prize in Literature

he 56-year-old, who emigrated to Germany in 1987, has made the trials of living under Nicolae Ceauşescu's dictatorship a focus of her work...

from Jacket Copy

Herta Mueller, Fashion Icon

But after seeing this image on Jezebel (and promptly making it my desktop—I suggest “stretch,” but “tile” is a powerful alternative) and conferring with other DoubleXers, I feel confident that Herta is on the road to fashion icon...

from XX blog

Another obscure Nobel Prize literature winner! Sigh

Herta who?, you ask. You’re not alone. Müller is a writer who ranked far, far down the list at the bookmakers Ladbrokes (at least until the last few days, when she became a virtual

from Shelf Life

Behind The Iron Curtain: Herta Mueller Wins Nobel Prize For Literature [Woman Of Letters]

Mueller's first book, a short story collection called Niederungen (Nadirs), was published in Romania in 1982.

from Jezebel

______________________
....while Hillary Mantel picks up the Booker.

Hilary Mantel Wins Man Booker Prize

...taking a prize worth nearly $80,000 for her novel, "Wolf Hall"--a historical biography about Henry VIII's adviser, Thomas Cromwell...

from mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

Man Booker Prize shows the Tudors still got it

The prestigious Man Booker Prize has been awarded to Hilary Mantel for "Wolf Hall," her Mantel was considered the odds-on favorite going into tonight's ceremony in London -- yes, the British do take bets on who will win a book prize...

from Jacket Copy

Literary News Round-Up

h/t Zach: The Harvard Lampoon is following up their lame-oh LOTR parody "Bored of the Rings" with a new book-length Twilight satire, called "Nightlight." Could be funny--cover image has potential---but then again it comes out of Harvard. heh.

A Double X writer on the Death of Chick Lit as a category. Breezy-clumsy-funny heroines seeking love and fulfillment can no longer work high-powered jobs and live a life of fabulosity. Times have changed. Money is scarce. Etc. etc. (One thing that won't evolve, IMO?? Lighthearted books aimed at women will be taken un-seriously.)

The Lovely Bones Trailer. I confess to loving the book and devouring it the summer it came out as well as later reading and liking Alice Sebold's graphic rape memoir, Lucky for the same reason--a combination of sublime and macabre. And of course I love Peter Jackson. So I'm psyched. Your thoughts?

AND ALSO:
The Guardian's "Not the Booker Prize" has moved on to its next stage with a long longlist and a request for judging.

Are anti-prizes as subjective as prizes?

The Guardian announces the 'Not the Booker' Prize. The winner will receive a mug, but the real purpose of the contest--entrants and winners culled from the internet masses--will be to evaluate the merit of prestigious awards. Writes Sam Jordison:

So the question that arises now, is – can we do any better? Does the blogging crowd have more wisdom than the panel? Can we come up with a more interesting shortlist than the judges? Can we pick a better winner? Or will we, indeed, choose the same one? Let's find out.

This will be interesting to follow in the next few weeks. The Booker is, IMHO, a particularly deadly bore as book prizes go, although it does go to women a fair amount. Here is this years longlist--although it has some "heavyweights" on it it just makes me want to snooze, for some reason ;)