The jury read 112 books, leading to a longlist of 12 and a short list of 5:
"Transit" by Rachel Cusk
"I Am A Truck" by Michelle Winters
"Son of A Trickster" by Eden Robinson
"Minds of Winter" by Ed O'Loughlin
"Bellevue Square" by Michael Redhill
The winner was "Bellevue Square" and Lawrence Hill introduced it by saying, "It is a funny, twisted book. It will mess with your mind".
The novel is about a book store owner who has a doppelganger.
Quote:
"My doppelganger problems began one afternoon in early April".
When interviewed, Michael Redhill said:
"It doesn't satisfy me as an artist to go someplace and tie everything up. I want to leave the reader a little wrong-footed because it creates the opportunity to think about what you've been through as a reader. I'd like to linger a little more".
I have been contemplating that word "wrong-footed". That may 'satisfy' the author, but I wonder if it would 'satisfy' me as a reader. I love a 'satisfying' ending and I'm not sure that I want it to be left 'wrong-footed'.
I love a celebration of books, but didn't find anything this year that interested me. I have read 19 of the 25 previous winners.
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