Best Irish Books

The Irish publishing year of 2005 was dominated by John Banville whose novel The Sea won the Man Booker and stalled the author's focus on his detective fiction as he engaged in a publicity whirl for the book. Due in paperback in a few months, The Sea now heads the nominees for the Irish Book Awards, due to be announced (in Fiction, non-Fiction and Children's) on 1 March.

If The Sea prevails as anticipated, then the choice of Dun Laoghaire Yacht Club will seem very prescient. Last year's award saw a Man Booker longlisted novel, Ronan Bennett's Havoc beat the favourite, Colm Tóibín's The Master. A similar upset may be seen if 2005 longlisted novel, William Wall's gritty urban novel This is The Country, prevails. Among other nominees in the fiction category is Nick Laird's debut Utterly Monkey. The ultra-fashionable Mr Laird is better known as a Longford poet and as the husband of the effervescent Zadie Smith, author of last year's sparkling On Beauty. The non-fiction category is lead by John McGahern's Memoir and media pundit David McWilliams' The Pope's Children, the soundbite text of the year. Competition is provided by Fergal Keane and Fintan O'Toole. The children's race is led by Whitbread winner Kate Thompson's The New Policeman, discussed on these pages last week.

Pamuk's Trials

Only a dark master of PR spin could put a positive sheen on the current international profile of Turkey. From an ever increasing death toll due to the spread of avian flu to the in-again-out-again release debate on the Papal shooter Mehmet Ali Agca, it's been a tough winter for the Turks. They are also beginning to feel the heat from the ongoing trial of Orhan Pamuk, author of Snow and My Name is Red. He awaits someone to make a decision on the charges of insulting Turkey which have been hanging over him since an interview he gave to a Swiss newspaper last year on Turkish/Kurd relations. The original verdict was due in December but the judiciary balked at the responsibility and batted responsibility back to the government. The government is having difficulties knowing where to look, with the Turkish Justice Minister recently announcing the dropping of the greater charge being faced by Pamuk, that of insulting the Turkish armed forces. This left the sole charge of insulting 'Turkishness' remain awaiting judgement. The Foreign Minister has now hinted that the laws of freedom of expression may be changed but only after a decision in Pamuk's case has been reached. In light of the ongoing courtship of the EU by Turkey, this seems likely to go in Pamuk's favour. It seems inconceivable that they would jail their Nobel-tipped pre-eminent novelist but the world will have to wait until 7 February to find out. The case is pivotal for over 60 writers and journalists around the world who face similar charges, without the shelter of an international profile like Pamuk.

When Fact Becomes Fiction

We mentioned last year that Oprah Winfrey had reactivated her book club, selecting James Frey's A Million Little Pieces as its opening choice. The book is a story of drugs and alcohol addiction, of rehab and recovery which has pushed Frey into the celebrated ranks of authors who have harnessed their painful experiences and converted them into redemptive bestsellers. As anticipated, the book sold 2 million copies in the latter half of 2005 – but less expected was the drama and turmoil into which it has been cast. It has become the source of huge embarrassment for all involved and a blow to Oprah's greatest currency, her credibility. The Smoking Gun website has accused Frey's book of being full of fictionalised incidents, rife with inaccuracy and exaggeration. The gleeful heat forced Frey to appear on The Larry King Show to defend the claims, referring to his work as a 'subjective retelling', and mentioning the distortion and filtering which is inevitably part of any memoir. In other words, cap in hand, he seemed to accept the issues presented. Oprah, unsolicited, then phoned in to add her weight to the argument, suggesting that the emotional truth still exists, regardless of whether or not the work was fictionalised. Not quite the stoutest of denials then? It is likely that she was reluctant to trash a book with which she has been so closely linked, particularly her first in the new book club series. You can bet her selection vetting process will be more vigorous in future however. She took the chance to suggest the weight of this work would be carried by submitting publishers as she slammed the laziness of Frey's publishers. Are we too cynical in looking at A Million Little Pieces' Number one position on Amazon's chart and thinking how well this is working out for all involved? Or are people buying the book in the hope of joining in on the mass refunds that Random House have had to offer to disgruntled customers?