A short list of the Big Book Awards has been announced
The Council of Experts of the National Literary Prize « Big Book » called the names of the finalists of its anniversary, twentieth season. 15 writers will not claim three, as before, but to two prizes. But both places are the first: seven will be argued for the victory in the Non-Fix nomination and eight-in the nomination « Artistic Prose ». Whether a new formula will be the key to a more tense struggle between two different regiments of works, trying to understand Mikhail Proprorokov.
The short list of The Big Book was announced as always – in early June in GUM. This time, the cream ceremony did not coincide with the day of ice cream, and it was calm and hard on the ground floor. In the third, in the demonstration hall of the department store, there were enough people – half an hour before the start of free places at the tables were no longer visible.
The reason for this could be fewer venerable authors on a long list-those who have already grown out the GUM, the youth ceremony more or less into the novelty. And besides, the contraction of the long-list. Forty names in the present against fifty in the past and previous ones made chances of success less ghostly: if the short list selects the maximum limit in 15 texts, the reduction will be less than triple. Looking ahead, let’s say that he chose the limit, and in the nominal nomination, the finalist became generally every second book of the semifinals.
But this was preceded by the expectation of the beginning, slightly prolonged, and, as always, rumors. Someone suggested that there would be only ten finalists, since there are allegedly only ten bouquets on the stage. Someone forgot success in the artistic part of the list with the venerable Andrei Dmitriev with the “wind of Troy” and German Sadulaev with “no one puts this life”, someone attracted the close attention of “adult” criticism, not only “Island Sakhalin”, but also “Snark Snark” by Eduard Verkin with “forty on the gallows”.
But the fanfares thundered, and performances began. The Chairman of the Council of Experts Dmitry Danilov, noting that the “Big Book” serves as a reliable pilot in the book Sea for reading lovers and a significant incentive for modern writers of Russia, ”said:“ Today we first presented a list of finalists in two nominations. I hope you share our opinion that in this, updated form, a short list of « big book » has become more fair and, I would say, intriguing. » Then he called on the members of the Council to proceed with the announcement of the finalists.
There were enough bouquets to everyone-five of the seven participants in the short list of Non-Fixes and eight of the eight finalists of Fikshn rose on the stage. As “Kommersant” suggested, in the first nomination the Council of Experts did not pass by the works of Elena Kholmogorova, Andrei Rubanova, Zoe Boguslavskaya and Vyacheslav Kuritsyn, adding to them the books of Elena Levkievskaya, Euphrosyna Kapustina and Lyudmila Weber. In second expectations, they also mostly met: Andrei Dmitriev and Eduard Verkin got into the short list, they were made by Vera Bogdanov with his third novel (the first two were inhabited by Long Long Long Listers of almost all prestigious awards, it was time to encroach on more), the silver medalist of the “Big Book-2021” Maya Kucher, laureate of premiums of “Banner”, “New Year”, New Mira ”,“ October ”and Moscow government Ilya Kochergin and three beautiful debutants – Anna Basner, Anna Shipilova and journalist Maxim Semelak.
But if the intrigue promised by Dmitry Danilov in the non -artistic part practically already came to naught due to both the accuracy of the choice and the specifics of the subject (whoever the winner, the memoirist, the biographer or the researcher will be deserved and fair), then in the second nomination it still, we can say, did not begin. Reading lovers have to scratch the back of the head tightly, choosing between the authors, for a long time, but without unnecessary agitation by tracking criticism (Dmitriev and Kucheskaya), who recently become candidates for her favorites Verkin and Bogdanova, poorly reserved, despite the abundance of bonuses, Kochergin and three completely new names.
Although why put a shadow on a wove-literature lovers will still prefer to read some kind of “affectionately” and the new imprints “under the rustle of your eyelashes” (all names are invented, any coincidences are random). In order for the prize to really claim the role of an experienced pilot, it must be able not only to maneuver, but also to gain a price. Create an intrigue-whether the super-associated and newly-made favorites (why there is no Viktor Pelevin, nor Alexei Ivanov, nor Alexei Salnikov in the short list? And it does not matter that one of them refused the nomination, we must be able to persuade or promote those who do not refuse), politically preoccupied and supporters of “pure art” (where, indeed, really, where, indeed, where, indeed, where Sadulaev? The short list would look more conflict), or for lack of the best book about Tesya, Perseus and Troy (two of them – “The Paradox of Tesa” by Anna Basner and Roman Andrei Dmitriev, – though they got to the final, but this was not pulling on the intrigue, “Perseus” could try to create it). After all, the point is not who remained beyond the side, it is impossible to embrace the immense, the fact is that both the pilot and people on the ship, and those who look from the shore feel the importance and responsibility of the moment.
In the storm it turns out. And in the calm … But, however, we will wait for the finals. Maybe by December and calm it will change with something.
