Future's bright, future's Orange

Books this week are A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka, We Need to Talk About Kevin by  Lionel Shriver,With No One As Witness by Elizabeth George. The British Book of the Year Awards and Sheila Hancock's The Two of Us.

No joy then for Christine Dwyer-Hickey, the Palmerstown author whose Tatty, a coming-of-age novel set in 1960s and 1970s Dublin, failed to make it off the Orange Prize for Fiction longlist and onto the shortlist when the finalists were announced recently. Dubbed "the Lemon Prize" by Auberon Waugh for its "women only" qualification rules, the prize is in its 10th year and has chosen excellent winners in past years, like Larry's Party and Small Island. The judging panel, which includes comedian Jo Brand, newscaster Moira Stewart and Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat, shied away from obvious (and Irish) choices to pick a list of three English and three American books. Two of the shortlisted books have already garnered attention this year, with A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka, and Lionel Shriver's We Need to Talk About Kevin being the main contenders. Both are selling well since their inclusion on the BBC's Page Turners programme. The winner will be announced in June.

Detective, solve thyself

Elizabeth George writes mysteries much in the manner of Agatha Christie or PD James. She has published 12 books, including A Great Deliverance and Well Schooled in Murder, which have won numerous crime fiction awards. Her mysteries are very English, all starring her very noble, very English detective super Thomas Lynley and his sidekick, the frumpy and dumpy Barbara Havers. So far, so normal – crime fiction is like that, sticking to comfortable formulae and recurring characters. Patricia Cornwell has Kay Scarpetta, Michael Connolly has Harry Bosch; the readers know what they want and, as long as they get it, keep on coming back for more. But, it turns out, Elizabeth George isn't such a slave to convention or a stickler for formula. She is not English but from the archetype of the West Coast, Orange County. It also appears her plots are willing to lead readers where they do not want to go. The twelfth Lynley mystery has just been published – and all is not well with George's fans. With No One As Witness, her latest book, ends shockingly and has been causing uproar and disgust on fan websites and in the US papers. Convention forbids us from telling you what happens, but salute her bravery...

Video killed the novel star

Much trumpeting announced the British Book of the Year Awards, which were presented in London last month and televised on Channel 4. In truth, we greeted the Nibbies (someone trying too hard with that name) with cynicism and award fatigue, but they turned out to be a witty, well-presented and strangely gripping affair. With more glamour, celebrities and judicious editing, it was far more edifying than the recent BAFTAs. Last week, Book Notes discussed David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas taking the Richard and Judy prize; Mitchell made it an embarrassed brace of awards by beating off Andrea Levy and Colm Tóibín for the literary fiction award. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell took the debut fiction award and Ian Rankin's Fleshmarket Close the crime/thriller award.

The speeches and presentations were far above the norm for these events, reflecting the lack of attention writers get, and also the fact that their trade is assembling words. Even then, there were some notable moments – Maureen Lipman introduced Bill Clinton, winner of the biography category for his autobiography, My Life, as the man known for having sex among the Bushes. Clinton treated the award with reverence, something he might not have done had he known that his greatest contender in the category was glamour model Jordan. Michael Palin, mindful of his current over-exposure, made a short speech in accepting the best TV tie-in award for Himalaya. The "Halle Berry award for over-emoting" was reserved for Paul Gascoigne however, winning best sports book for Gazza: My Story. His speech was a blubbering mess of tears and inarticulation that suggested severe emotional problems.

Sheila Hancock was named author of the year for The Two of Us, recounting her life with actor, and husband, John Thaw. Beating Dan Brown in this category proved to be the biggest surprise of the night but all was righted with the book of the year award. Traditionally won by the year's biggest-selling book, the much advertised presence of Dan Brown left little doubt as to the eventual winner. The pre-award odds offered by William Hill were an extremely generous 1-4 – there was money to be made there, for no-one was taking down Dan Brown. Allegedly a borderline reclusive, but probably just bored by the accolades, the Da Vinci Code author accepted with a videoed speech and all the animation of a still photo. His interview was devoid of illumination and shed little light on the popularity of his work. The only item of interest in Dan Brown-land that night was the news that Ian McKellen has been cast as Leigh Teabing opposite Tom Hanks in the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie.