Sunday 10 February 2008

The True Story of how I reached the dizzy heights of a prize winner




It’s official. I’m a prize winner. Perhaps I should explain.



Our local bookshop, a tiny little place hardly bigger than a front room, is running a monthly competition. Starting this January it’s invited anyone with an interest in books to write a review (maximum100 words) of any book that may appeal to others.



All entries are displayed on the Special Review Board. (Just behind the door as you go in if you want to take a peek) As a keen supporter of this rare and dying breed, the independent bookseller, I was up there with my review of Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris, almost as soon as I saw the competition announced in our local free magazine.



I am pleased to say that my hard work has paid off. I’ve won this month’s prize. Dizzy heights indeed, considering the last literary prize I won was when I was still in school.



Sadly my triumph is a little sour. There was only one entry displayed on the board, mine.



Still, a £5 book token’s not to be sniffed at , is it?

Hang on a moment!

I’ve been Memed - I guess that’s a sort of prize too.

Pg123, 5th sentence from the book nearest to me, then the next 3 sentences:

Photography, A Concise History

Photography enabled the exchange of authentic - but also selective - information on the course of the war.

Interest in war reporting grew stronger as more nad more people were directly confronted with the war or were directly affected by war activity. On the one hand, was photographers provided visual information to people who were not directly involved, but whose family members might be at the front. On the other hand, war photography naturally served the propagands interests of the political powers.

12 comments:

laurie said...

nothing ventured, nothing gained.... congratulations! the only entrant they needed, clearly!

Anonymous said...

Well done on your success!

Interesting book, reporting on the war has become so useful over the years and the photographs have enhanced the newer generation's realisation of those horrific years.

Crystal xx

Zoë said...

Well done for being brave enough to enter in the first place! Congratulations!

The book sounds interesting, images seem to have taken precedence over words in so much reporting these days.

Cait O'Connor said...

Congratulations. Was it a review yuo did for purplebooks? What a sweet bookshop.

Chris Stovell said...

Well done you!

Inthemud said...

Well done on winning with your book review!! Well deserved!

Milla said...

at least you didn't come second of two!!!

Faith said...

It's amazing how few people bother to enter competitions. I used to do a lot so know all the ins and outs! Well done for doing it and receiving your token.

abcd said...

Congratulations on your win! I think I would enjoy a visit to that bookshop, it looks lovely.

Pondside said...

Bravo!! You can't win if you don't enter, and the prize will go on to give you even more reading pleasure!
I have become addicted to books of photographs - give them as gifts so that I can have a good look beforehand!!!

LITTLE BROWN DOG said...

Well done for winning that prize! Sounds like a really good idea, having reviews posted up on a noticeboard in a bookshop - I wish they'd do something like that in our local bookshop - might make me feel like visiting more often rather than taking the easy option and ordering from Amazon. (Honestly, I would support my local bookshop more if they gave anything like a decent service). Yours looks like a lovely little bookshop.

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Ah hah so your prize was really for the fact that you had motivated yourself when others hadn't which means you are an achiever - so congratulations . . .and congratulations too on how well you run our book club - thank you.