Jane Rawson’s ‘most underrated book’ award recognises both a quirky novel and the faith of the pint-sized press that published it
The highlight of the independent publishers conference – organised by the Small Press Network and now in its third year – is the “most underrated book” awards, now affectionately known as the Mubas.
The prize fulfils an important role. Although we hear a lot about the top end of town in the book industry – your Penguin Random Houses or Hachettes that invariably dominate the bestseller and awards lists – equally fine work is being done on a smaller scale, often by publishing houses with as few as one or two staff. And it’s to acknowledge their work that the Muba prize came into being.
Small press publishers face many vicissitudes. Not only do they lack the advertising budget or market clout of the majors, they are also in no sort of position to offer authors a substantial – or sometimes any – advance. The books they bring to market are more often than not products of love: combining a passion for an author’s voice on the part of the publishers, and faith in the advice, editing skills and reputation of the publisher on the part of the author.
The winner of this year’s award was Jane Rawson for her debut novel A Wrong Turn at the Office of Unmade Lists (Transit Lounge, 2013), a “playful, funny, clever book” in the words of short story writer Ryan O’Neill, which jumps between San Francisco in 1997 and a rather dystopic Melbourne in 2030.
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The prize fulfils an important role. Although we hear a lot about the top end of town in the book industry – your Penguin Random Houses or Hachettes that invariably dominate the bestseller and awards lists – equally fine work is being done on a smaller scale, often by publishing houses with as few as one or two staff. And it’s to acknowledge their work that the Muba prize came into being.
Small press publishers face many vicissitudes. Not only do they lack the advertising budget or market clout of the majors, they are also in no sort of position to offer authors a substantial – or sometimes any – advance. The books they bring to market are more often than not products of love: combining a passion for an author’s voice on the part of the publishers, and faith in the advice, editing skills and reputation of the publisher on the part of the author.
The winner of this year’s award was Jane Rawson for her debut novel A Wrong Turn at the Office of Unmade Lists (Transit Lounge, 2013), a “playful, funny, clever book” in the words of short story writer Ryan O’Neill, which jumps between San Francisco in 1997 and a rather dystopic Melbourne in 2030.
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