Alert! Duncan Brown’s Are Trout South African?: Stories of Fish, People and Places has been shortlisted for the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. Are Trout South African? looks at issues of identity and belonging by considering whether trout should still be considered “alien” in South Africa, after all these years.
The winner, decided by public vote, will be announced on 21 March. Last year the award went to Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop by Reginald Bakeley. Nick Clark from The Independent reports that apart from the potential for a modest sales increase, the winner receives bragging rights and “a bottle of ‘fairly passable’ claret”. Horace Bent, the prize’s custodian, says that this year’s shortlist is a strong one: “It is a truly inspiring list celebrating the art of title-making that goes from the sublime to the fantastic.”
Complete shortlist
- Are Trout South African?: Stories of Fish, People and Places by Duncan Brown
- Working Class Cats: The Bodega Cats of New York City by Chris Balsiger and Erin Canning
- How to Poo on a Date: The Lovers’ Guide to Toilet Etiquette by Mats and Enzo
- Pieography: Where Pie Meets Biography by Jo Packham
- How to Pray When You’re Pissed at God: Or Anyone Else for That Matter by Ian Punnett
- The Origin of Feces: What Excrement Tells Us about Evolution, Ecology, and a Sustainable Society by David Waltner-Toews
A book about working-class cats will compete with a guide about toilet etiquette during a date for one of the most sought-after prizes in this year’s literary calendar.
As the shortlist of the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year was unveiled, its organiser said 2014 was one of the strongest vintages in the award’s 35-year history.
Pan Macmillan publisher Andrea Nattrass encouraged people to vote for Brown and pointed out that the book deserves attention for more than just its interesting title:
Please vote for "Are Trout SAn?" "@HoraceBent: Go over to WLTB http://t.co/LHC3yu4mna to vote on this year's #DiagramPrize"
— Andrea Nattrass (@Andrea_Nattrass) February 21, 2014
"Are Trout South African?" deserves attention for more than its nomination for the Diagram Prize for the "oddest title" of 2013!
— Andrea Nattrass (@Andrea_Nattrass) February 21, 2014
Book details
- Are Trout South African?: Stories of Fish, People and Places by Duncan Brown
EAN: 9781770103023
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- Working Class Cats: The Bodega Cats of New York City by Chris Balsiger, Erin Canning
EAN: 9781935548294
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- How to Poo on a Date: The Lovers’ Guide to Toilet Etiquette by Mats and Enzo
EAN: 9781853757822
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- Pieography: Where Pie Meets Biography by Jo Packham
EAN: 9781592538539
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- How to Pray When You’re Pissed at God: Or Anyone Else for That Matter by Ian Punnett
EAN: 9780307986030
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- The Origin of Feces: What Excrement Tells Us about Evolution, Ecology, and a Sustainable Society by David Waltner-Toews
EAN: 9781770411166
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