December 12th, 2007
Lily Allen - the book prize judge
Who’d have thought it? Lily Allen’s bookworkmery has landed her a spot on the Orange Prize judging panel. The prize’s co-founder Kate Mosse said: “Not all our judges in the past have been people who have written books - it is as much about being a great reader and having a variety of occupations and ages represented. We hope that all the judges will bring different constituents of readers with them and spread the word”. At 22, Allen is also the youngest ever person to appear on the book prize panel.
We’ve been here before, and Nicholas Lezard on the Guardian blog makes a lot of sense.
“It’s a shabby game. It’s patronising, both to the authors being judged, and to the public, who are seen as not smart enough to be interested in anything unless a famous person is involved. And as for the celebs themselves - they don’t come out of it looking too good either: they’re saying, in effect: “I have hidden depths! I can read!” Well, bully for them. The best thing you can say about exercises like this is that they expose the whole prize-giving business as the folly it is. Let us take this to the logical conclusion: we want Jordan and Peter Andre to replace the Nobel committee, now. ”
Imagine Jordan reading Doris Lessing?
December 12th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
My sense is that Lessing would have refused the prize if Jordan had any hand in it.
December 12th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
I can see the point being made but at the same time is it not equally as insulting to suggest that someone isn’t worthy enough to judge literature based on their public persona? Should such panels be comprised purely of academics and “long in the tooth” reviewers, and if so doesn’t such a composition not suggest a patronising scenario where we are told what to read by “intellectual betters”?
To quote the Dude, “well, that’s just like, your opinion man.”
December 12th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Medbh, it’s a funny though.
Joe, I’m not saying that Lily Allen isn’t “worthy enough” to judge a book prize, I just don’t think they should be judged by random celebrities, in the same way I think they shouldn’t be judged by either academics or book reviewers. In my opinion, book prizes should be judged by writers.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
On a positive note, at least they didn’t appoint Posh Spice!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Lets hope d buk is writtn n txt spk
December 13th, 2007 at 12:30 am
Not really a big fan of Lily, but she ‘writes’ songs, which have words.”All those times that I said I was sober,
Well I’m afraid I lied,
I’d be lying next to you, you next to me,
All the while I was high as a kite.
I could see it in your face when you give it to me gently,
Yeah, you really must think you’re great,
Let’s see how you feel in a couple of weeks,
When I work my way through your mates.”
Better than Anne Enright any day.
December 13th, 2007 at 5:38 am
That’s a good point OneForTheRoad
I don’t think I’m being snobby, but having Allen on the Jury is like asking apples to judge oranges (excuse the pun). She’s not exactly a deep thinker, although I’m sure she’s smart. But way too young!
And from what the Guardian article said, she actually approached the Prize Administrators herself, the cheeky bugger!
December 13th, 2007 at 8:32 am
OFTR, it might well happen yet. I’m surprised there’s not a ‘PS I Luv u’ film tie-in book for Cecilia’s film out this month.
Rory, each to their own, but give me Enright any day. The quality of writing in The Gathering is hard to beat. I couldn’t say the same for Lily, I’m afraid, but that’s just my view.
Dac, precisely my point - judges for any prize should be appointed on the basis of their experience in relation to what they’re judging.
I think approaching them smacks of a lot of desperately wanting to be involved - whether that’s to prove she’s smart, as I’m sure she is, is anyone’s guess.
December 13th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Doesn’t some Guy Chambers-esqe gimp behind the scenes write Lily’s muck? Either way she should fuck off from judging literary awards. More celebrity bollocks…
December 13th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Oh god, I’d nearly forgotten about that PS I Love you shite… That will teach me to read comments.
December 13th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
This is probably neither here nor there, but I truly dislike Lily Allen. That is all.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Easons is just a glorified stationary store.
They stock about 8 million autobiographies everywhere but they don’t have anything by Doris Lessing.
Ironically, I’m sure they’d have Jordan’s autobiography.