Winning Etiquette by Poppy Gee

Do you try to read the books that are nominated for major awards? Do you second-guess the nominations or do you usually find you agree? 

When I was younger I always tried to read the award winning books. I found them interesting and exciting. Each time a list was released, I scoured it, counting how many I had read, noting which books I wanted to read.

I used to read every winner of the now defunct Australian/Vogel award, a prize for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of 35. These novels were by writers you’d never heard of. Debut fiction is exciting because almost every writer writes their first novel thinking no one will ever read it. Consequently, debuts are often more raw, honest, heartfelt, sometimes flawed, and the imperfection is part of the perfection – it’s pure.

These days I don’t make such a deliberate effort to read award-winning books. I already keep track of the publishing industry, paying close attention to what other writers are writing and consequently my TBR list is extensive and robust. Eric Beetner's ITW shortlisted book The Last Few Miles of Road was already on my list before it was honoured in the Best Series category.

The next question is interesting. Is it rude to second-guess the nominations? I'm going to suggest we should do this, that lists should get dissected and debated, and maybe the judges should be scrutinised too. I want to push back on the idea of any kind of literary authority!

Australia has a notorious and shocking history of bestowing awards on books that have later been exposed as frauds or hoaxes.

In 2022, John Hughes’ novel The Dogs, which made several shortlists, was withdrawn from the prestigious Miles Franklin longlist after he was found to have plagiarised sections of his novel from The Great Gatsby, Anna Karenina and All Quiet on the Western Front among others. The author claimed he was creating a collage, but given there were no citations, this explanation was not accepted as satisfactory.

In 1995, Helen Demidenko won the $60,000 Miles Franklin Award for The Hand That Signed The Paper. The author claimed she had Ukrainian heritage, and that this family history informed her novel about Ukrainian people siding with the Nazis during the holocaust. The literati described her as ‘astonishingly talented’ and ‘searingly truthful’. Astonishing she was, truthful not so much. It was revealed Demidenko’s real name is Helen Darville, she’s British, and her Ukrainian background was made up. Hers was an elaborate masquerade – she even performed a Ukrainian folk dance with her publisher at the award ceremony.

In 1996 a novel called My Own Sweet Time, allegedly written by an Aboriginal woman called Wanda Koolmatrie who was a member of Australia’s stolen generation, won the Nita May Dobbie Literary Award, a cash prize of $5,000 for the best first novel by a female writer. Later it was revealed the book was written by a 47-year-old white taxi driver called Leon Carmen. This shocked the publishing industry, including the publisher who had been duped.

There are plenty more stories…If you’re interested listen to this podcast:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-book-show/fakes-and-frauds/102323578

When it comes to art, we should question decisions, rather than succumb to the dangers of sheep-like conformity like the people in the philosophical fable The Emperor’s New Clothes. In that tale the townsfolk knew the emperor was naked, but feared they would be regarded as stupid, or worse, so they pretended they could see the emperor’s magnificent garments as he paraded around.

Having said that, overall, I think literary prizes are a good idea – for writers, they can be an appreciated cash injection, acknowledgement of hard work, professional validation, and a wonderful, sociable, joyful moment in a fairly solitary pursuit. If you have won one, I’m excited for you! Pop the champagne, I'll have a bubbles with you and toast your hard work and talent. Tonight I'm going to the launch of my good friend Steve MinOn's debut book: First Name Second Name. His novel won an unpublished manuscript award and tonight we will all be celebrating!