Today marks the fourth iteration of Granta's Best of Young British Writers: the first such list to be published in the age of social media. In real time, authors, bloggers and journalists will debate the publication of a list which seeks to annoint the rising stars of British literature, the authors who will follow in the heavily-garlanded footsteps of Amis, Barnes, Rushdie and Ishiguro, the class of '83. In recent weeks, the likes of Alex Clarke in The Guardian have sought to predict the whims of the judges, reaching for a consensus view of the modern literary scene. The aim is to select the 20 greatest British writers under the age of 40. They can work in any medium, as long as they have published, or are under contract to publish, a full-length work of fiction. But what does Granta actually offer us?
It is important to remember the genesis of Granta's iconic series. The original list, in 1983, was born of a Book Marketing Council promotion, supported by the likes of WH Smith and the Society of Authors. As Bill Buford, then editor of Granta, admitted in the 1993 edition, the BMC list 'inspired a special issue of Granta'. The benefit was mutual. Granta lent intellectual prestige to a commercial marketing scheme; in return, it was able to publish exclusive short stories by a host of already hotly-tipped young authors, creating a buzz around an independent publishing house. The original list includes an impressive selection of Booker winners and nominees. More recent editions have struggled to match the initial success rate (although none has flown so wide of the mark as the Best of Young American Writers edition from 2007 - ZZ Packer anyone?).
For Granta now, there is an uneasy path to tread between commercial success and artistic credibility, which looks set to be exacerbated by the changing landscape of the literary world. The Best of Young British Writers announcement is an attempt to define the literary scene on Granta's own terms, establishing the magazine as the definitive taste-maker. But, in a world of instant responses, from social media and blogs, is this position secure? As responses to my alternative list showed, there is an appetite for edgy, experimental fiction which often passes Granta by. There is also a suspicion that the insular London literary scene overlooks exciting Northern writers, such as Ben Myers and Jenn Ashworth, who are popular with bloggers and readers but lack champions in the literary establishment. Whereas once Granta was an illustrious, independent presence, it now exists alongside self-publishers, bloggers, GoodReads users and tweeters. Compared to these groups, Granta looks much more like the establishment it once stood outside.
So what should the judges do? Do they highlight sales, take a snapshot of the literary scene as it appears, or do they try to find those authors who show great promise and who can soar over the next decade? Consensus seems to be that inclusion on the Granta list is not a great sales boost, but is useful for authors in securing deals, reviews and so on. In that case, surely the judges would be best employed searching for lesser-known talents who could benefit greatly from the prestige conferred upon them by selection*? This would especially apply to writers of short stories and flash fiction, often less commercially-rewarding forms than the longer novel.
Zadie Smith is a case in point. It must have been tempting for the judges to include an author with so many sales behind her, and such a developed media profile. But what has she achieved since her inclusion in the 2003 list? There's still a feeling that her characters lack depth, and her last effort, NW, was a mess. By recognising her once more, is Granta giving a slap on the back to an accepted member of the literary world? Are the judges too insular to look beyond the obvious names and familiar faces? Adam Thirlwell is another who appeared last time and has underwhelmed since. Most nagging is the feeling that many of the choices lack staying power - will we be reading Szalay or Kavenna in a decade or so?
More positively, I was pleased to see Evie Wyld, Jenni Fagan and Ned Beauman make the official list, along with Naomi Alderman. All three have shown great promise, and this could boost their profile towards some more mainstream success. Steven Hall came close to making it onto my list - the chance to see some new writing from him to follow The Raw Shark Texts is exciting. Taiye Selasi is an interesting pick - the current flavour of the month, how her debut Ghana Must Go holds up remains to be seen. What is missing is a real sense of experimentation, or departure from form.
When I published my alternative list, and began to discuss the selection process with people online, a common complaint from authors and readers alike centered on the age limit imposed by Granta. Exactly how valid is the cut-off point of 40 years? Last year, for example, Alison Moore shocked the publishing world by arriving, apparently fully-formed, with her Booker-nominated debut novel The Lighthouse. Ms Moore is undeniably talented, appealing to readers and prize-judges alike; she is also a fresh voice, who has the potential to become a major figure in the literary scene over the coming decades. But she is ineligible for recognition under the Granta rules. Why should such a vital, potentially important figure, be ruled out? What does it matter that she found her stride later than some of the young and the hyped?
Concerns over the age-limit are exacerbated by a perceived dearth of talented young writers for Granta to recognise. Max Dunbar highlights a general sense that there is simply not the same quality of young writer today that existed when Granta made their first list in 1983. Of the current crop, how many possess the ability to dominate Booker Prize and bestseller charts in the way that Barnes, Swift et al managed? I feel that this pessimism is unfounded. The alternative list compiled by contributors to this site actually gives a sense of a vibrant scene, and shows just how conservative Granta has become. Here, we have the biting satire of Sam Byers, the fevered imaginings of Sam Mills, the political commentary of James Miller and Zoe Lambert, dynamic poets such as Vanessa Kisuule, a host of talented short story writers including Jon McGregor.
Unfortunately, many of these writers exist outside of the inner circle of the publishing world, and therefore miss out on the big prize. Socrates Adams is highly-rated in the blogging world, but has to content himself with a nomination for young bookseller of the year. JR Crook has written some beautiful, experimental prose, but flies under the radar here. It is interesting to speculate which authors will cause Granta most retrospective embarrasment through their omission. My guesses would be Sam Byers, and also Jon McGregor, but who knows which other authors will bloom between now and 2023?
So, compare our picks with the official Granta ones, let us know what you think in the comments below.
* Judging from recent comments from authors in conversation and on Twitter, there is a strong utilitarian case for scrapping the whole thing, as no amount of benefit can outweigh the countervailing levels of writerly angst and uncertainty.
No comments:
Post a Comment