Reconsider Returning to the Original Man Booker Eligibility Criteria

This coming Tuesday, on July 24, the Man Booker Prize 2018 longlist will be announced in London. It’s a pity that the Prize committee changed its eligibility rules a few years back. I favored the original sui generis eligibility criteria, where only British authors and authors from the former Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe could qualify for the competition.
Now it is open to all authors of books written in English, no matter where they come from, as long as the book they wrote was published in the UK. Distinctiveness of the competition is a thing of the past. As most expected, the American publishing industry with its financial and marketing clout has dominated the submission process. The last two winners have been American.
I think that it is time for the committee to seriously reconsider going back to the original eligibility rules and restore the unique nature of the Man Booker competition. I would like to know whether you agree or disagree with me.

Kathleen Rooney Discusses Rene Magritte’s Selected Writings

Our very talented and versatile literary Artist-in Residence at the Cliff Dwellers, Kathleen Rooney, will be presenting a unique program on the book that she recently co-edited entitled Rene Magritte: Selected Writings on Friday evening May 11. This book represents the first time that the great Belgian surrealist artist’s writings have been translated in English. Kathleen will discuss her special journey of discovering the great Magritte’s written words, many of them as probing and whimsical as is his distinctive art. The dinner at the Cliff Dwellers (200 South Michigan, across from the Art Institute) which precedes the presentation is at 6:15. The plated dinner will have a Belgian flair in honor of Magritte. The program starts at 7:00. Cost of the dinner and program is $35; seating for the program only is $10. Books will be available for purchase. Please make your reservations at reservations@cliff-chicago.org.