FROM DUTTON'S BRENTWOOD NEWS




Odds and ends
Six get shorted............

That is, six writers have made the shortlist cut for the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The prize is awarded each year to the best novel written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. Announced this week, the shortlist consists of:

· Darkmans by Nicola Barker
· The Gathering by Anne Enright
· The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
· Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
· On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
· Animal’s People by Indra Sinha

McEwan, of course, is no stranger to the Man Booker, having won the prize in 1998 for Amsterdam. The winner will be announced October 16. For a list of previous winners, you can visit the Man Booker site or our Bestsellers and Awards page.

In other award news..........the 2007 Hugo Award winners were announced last Saturday. Recognizing excellence in science fiction, the annual awards are granted in several categories, including books, films, journalism and art, to name a few.
This year's Hugo Award-winning novel was bestowed upon Vernor Vinge for Rainbows End - a futuristic thriller set down the coast in 2050s San Diego. Vinge should have no trouble with his acceptance speech, having already won the award four times previously.
The award in non-fiction went to Julie Phillips for James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon. The biography chronicles the life and career of sci-fi author James Tiptree, Jr. who, after bursting on to the scene as a phenom in the 1970s, turned out to be 61 year old Alice B. Sheldon. She had taken the nom de plume as a joke, but then found the alter-ego furnished her with the perfect authorial voice. For a complete listing of this year's winners, visit the Hugo Awards homepage.

Dutton's is saddened...........to note the passing of Philomene Long. Known by many as the "Poet Laureate of Venice", Ms. Long wrote in the tradition of the Beat Poets, publishing such local classics as Queen of Bohemia and The Ghosts of Venice West. In addition to her poetry, she wrote a book of prose, American Zen Bones, about Zen Center of Los Angeles founder Maezumi Roshi, and directed films. She passed away at her home at the age of 67.

In other sad news..........Beloved author Madeline L'Engle passed away Thursday at the age of 88. Perhaps known best for A Wrinkle in Time, which won the Newbery Medal in 1963, L'Engle wrote over 60 books of fantasy, poetry and memoir, many of which were tinged with her strong Christian faith.

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