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Lott goes on Orange attack

17.03.08

Author Tim Lott has launched a scathing attack on the Orange Prize. In a piece written for the Telegraph, with the headline, 'The Orange Prize is a sexist con-trick', Lott wrote: "If you take off the distorted spectacles of contemporary social conditioning, the Orange Prize is sexist and discriminatory, and it should be shunned - or, at the very least, mocked mercilessly."

Lott also appeared on the Today programme this morning continuing his attack. He argued: "Women are predominant, in terms of numbers and power, in most of the major publishing houses and agencies. They sell most of the books, into a market that largely comprises women readers. They are favoured by what is overwhelmingly the most important publishing prize (the Richard and Judy list), and comprise most of the reading groups that drive sales. Girls in schools are more literate than boys, and pupils are taught reading mainly by female teachers promoting mainly female writers."

Telegraph

Orange Prize Tim Lott Home

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By Fola

Is this guy serious? Why is he not complaining about chefs, hairdressers and fashion designers? Do you see women speaking so disdainfully and disrespectfully - and publically - of the opposite sex working in these careers? The answer is "No". One would have expected so much better from a writer but I suppose bitterness does strange things to people.

17 Mar 08 09:27

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By Phil

"They are favoured by what is overwhelmingly the most important publishing prize (the Richard and Judy list)" Hmmm... of this year's R&J "Book Club", how many of the ten have been penned by the female hand? One (Katherine McMahon's 'The Rose of Sebastopol'). Of the 74 titles that have made the Richard and Judy book clubs/summer reads to date, how many have been written by women?? 36 (Compared to 38 by "blokes"). Of the four "Book Club" "Best Reads" winners, how many were written by women?? 2 (Kate Mosse and Alice Sebold). Here's your headline: "Lott's Lost the PLott"

17 Mar 08 10:11

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By Stephen E Andrews

Although I'm not personally bothered by the female exclusivity of The Orange Prize, I think Tim Lott has raised an important point about the female-centric nature of much contemporary publishing. This manifests itself in a failure to adequately market books to men, as there are plenty of great books being published that men enjoy reading (once they know about them). However, I would say that men need to be more vociferous about what they like to read. This is why I wrote my my next book ('100 Must Read Books For Men', A & C Black, September 2008), which was conceived in 2005 before 'The Dangerous Book For Boys' revealed that there was a black hole in publishing - the failure to recognise that men read too. My book aims to fill this marketing gap - but it will only do so if booksellers recognise that men need strong recommendations for reading too.

17 Mar 08 11:05

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