Are the literati for awards or vice versa?

The most pertinent question that one could raise, looking at the recently concluded Swarna Pushtaka award (Golden Book Award) is whether the literary awards are for the literati or literati are for the awards? And whether the award would be ‘golden’ or the book or the literary production which is duly qualified for the award should be ‘golden’?

Unfortunately judging by the recently concluded literary awards, it seems that literary awards have achieved prominence over the literary productions and writers are for the awards.

The month of September in Sri Lanka is also a month for awards, rewards, frustrations, criticism even back biting as a result of several organisations working hard to bestow literary awards to authors, novelists, poets and translators.

Literary awards in general and literary awards for Sinhalese fiction, poetry and short stories in particular have become a proverbial bone of contention leading not to enlightened discourse on the merits, de-merits and social value and the role that literary awards play in Sri Lankan literary landscape, but to more parochial debates on most mundane topics.

One of the pernicious literary trends that seems to occupy the centre of the current discourse in the contemporary Sri Lankan literary landscape is the aptness or inaptness of using spoken idiom for literary productions. At times, the central thesis of the discourse is the diction of the literary production , almost jettisoning other important factors such as the material that goes into the work, characterisation or the depiction of the milieu. It seems that material bordering pornographic literature has been readily integrated into the plot without absolutely any function being played in the plot, apparently with the sole and exclusive intention of securing some ‘literary’ awards which can be aptly described as badges of shame. Although there are polemics involved even in international literary awards, it is pertinent to discuss briefly the Man booker prize for fiction.

Man Booker Prize for fiction

First, let's look at the widely acclaimed Man Booker Prize for fiction. This 50,000 pound award is the leading literary award in the English speaking world.

Announcing this year’s short list, the official website of the Man Booker Prize states:

“ Julian Barnes, Carol Birch, Patrick deWitt, Esi Edugyan, Stephen Kelman and A.D. Miller are announced as the six shortlisted authors for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.

The judges’ selection includes two first time novelists - Stephen Kelman and A.D. Miller – while four of the books are from independent publishers. Of the six writers, two have enjoyed success with the prize in the past. Julian Barnes has been shortlisted three times for Arthur and George (2005), England, England (1998) and Flaubert’s Parrot (1984), while Carol Birch was longlisted in 2003 for Turn Again Home. Two Canadian writers feature on the shortlist -Patrick deWitt and Esi Edugyan – along with four British novelists.

The shortlist was announced by Chair of Judges, author and former Director-General of MI5 Dame Stella Rimington, at a press conference held at Man’s London headquarters.

The six books, selected from the longlist of 13, are:
Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House)
Carol Birch Jamrach’s Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent’s Tail)
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic)

Chair of judges, Dame Stella Rimington, comments: “Inevitably it was hard to whittle down the longlist to six titles. We were sorry to lose some great books. But, when push came to shove, we quickly agreed that these six very different titles were the best.”

The winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on Tuesday October 18 at a dinner at London’s Guildhall and will be broadcast on the BBC. The winner will receive £50,000 and each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, will receive £2,500 and a designer bound edition of their book. Last year’s winner, The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK alone.

The judges for the 2011 Prize are writer and journalist, Matthew d’Ancona; author, Susan Hill; author and politician, Chris Mullin; and Head of Books at the Daily Telegraph, Gaby Wood. Dame Stella Rimington is the Chair. ”

Although it is highly unlikely that a comparison between the eminent personalities that make up the panel of judges for the Man Booker prize and some of the panel of judges for Sri Lankan literary awards can be made, it is pertinent to raise the issue of integrity on the part of the panel of judges for Sri Lankan literary awards.

In a way, literary awards have assumed the dubious status of commodity brands which would, among other things, ensure ‘poor writers’ (some of the so called writers cannot be considered as writers at all) a considerable sale and a shallow ‘fame’. Prominent among such literary awards which seem to have reduced their status to commodity labels are Gratiaen award and Swarna Pustaka Award. In addition to above benefits, Gratiaen and Swarna Pustaka awardees would also get VIP ‘recognition’ at the forthcoming Galle Literary Festival. With all the good intentions on the part of the organisers of the GLF, it seems that among their criteria in selecting prospective local literati for GLF is the Gratiaen and Swarna Pustaka awards.

Rejecting literary awards?

Among the participants for the GLF 2012 are Buddhadasa Galappatty, Sakuntala Sachithanandan and Sunethra Rajakarunanayake. Sunethra Rajakarunanayake is a pioneer in filthy discourse in Sinhalese literature. If D.H Lawrence used sex as a mode to make psychological analysis of complex human behaviour, Sinhalese literati seem to use sex and almost phonographic material to ensure a good sale.

That is valid only for poor writers. However, a silver line in the dark cloud is the trend among Sinhala literati who can stand on their own feet without depending on walking aids of literary awards, is to reject the so called literary awards. Contemporary Sinhala writer Kathleen Jayawardene has cast the first stone in this regard by officially informing award committees that her latest novel Dhara should not be considered for literary awards. Though one is entitled to one’s views in this regard, it is up to the writers to prove their mettle particularly against the backdrop of mock awards which promote substandard literature.