The Bookseller.com

4th July 2009

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Bookseller launches Diagram of Diagrams

08.08.08 Philip Stone

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, The Bookseller has launched 'The Diagram of Diagrams' - a public vote to discover the oddest book title of the last 30 years. The online vote can be located at thebookseller.com/diagramprize with the winner to be announced on Friday, 5th September.

In conjunction with the prize, Aurum Press will be publishing How to Avoid Huge Ships: And Other Implausably Titled Books, a collection of some of the most unusual winners and nominees since the inaugural prize in 1978 when Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice picked up the award.

The prize was first established 30 years ago upon a suggestion by The Diagram Group's Bruce Robertson for a way to pass time at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Since then, the prize has gone on to enjoy an increasingly high profile with blanket coverage in the national and international presses. The 2007 winner, announced in March this year, was Big Boom's If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs (Fireside).

Horace Bent, The Bookseller's legendary diarist and custodian of the prize, said: "It's overwhelming; incredibly emotional to dig through my substantial archive of press cuttings and public correspondences regarding the prize. To look over the last thirty years of the prize – has it really been that long? - I am reminded of so many of my personal favourites; both the winners and the nearly made-its, including our first ever winner, Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice."

He added: "The public will decide. Although, let it be known, I'm still not entirely convinced about opening up the prize up to the public."

Vote for the oddest ever title

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