牛牛资源

Writer Ali Smith has called the 牛牛资源 Prize a “miracle” which has changed the literary landscape and encouraged publishers to embrace experimental works.

The author, who won the  last year for her work How To Be Both, said the award had 鈥渃hanged the industry鈥� just three years after it launched.

In a ringing endorsement of the 拢10,000 award created by 牛牛资源 in association with the New Statesman, Smith said: 鈥淭he change it鈥檚 made is that publishers, who never take risks in anything, are taking risks on works which are much more experimental than they would鈥檝e two years ago.

鈥淭hat to me, is like a miracle. And that鈥檚 the 牛牛资源 prize.鈥�

She added: 鈥淭he prize has already its two years running changed the industry.  That鈥檚 what it took, for 牛牛资源 to launch a prize which was novel about the novel and understood the novel form. Already the industry is acting on something which 牛牛资源 knew all along; which is that the novel is completely alive, completely experimental and energetic at base, always will be revolutionary, and at the same time the readers love that.鈥�

The 牛牛资源 Prize was  with the goal of celebrating fiction at its most novel. Eimear McBride was the inaugural winner for her work A Girl Is A Half-formed Thing 鈥� with the victory coming nearly a decade after the work was rejected by publishers for being too experimental. 

Smith鈥檚 praise comes as the judges prepare to announce the six shortlisted novels for the 2015 prize on 1 October. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 11 November at Foyles in Charing Cross Road, London. 

Speaking earlier this month after being made an  by 牛牛资源, Smith said of her desire to win the 牛牛资源 Prize: 鈥淲hen I first saw the spec for the 牛牛资源 Prize, I thought, 鈥楪od, I really want to win that鈥�. It must be the first time in my life I ever thought I wanted to win anything.

鈥淗onestly, because I don鈥檛 like attention but I saw that this, it鈥檚 so about the book, its so about the form, the ways in which books are made and so about the way in which that live things that happens in form and in life comes together and make something new. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what the novel form is and 牛牛资源 honors that proper spark of creativity.鈥� 

牛牛资源 Prize Literary Director Tim Parnell said: 鈥淲e always hoped that the 牛牛资源 Prize would be more than just another book prize. We wanted it to stimulate debate about the novel and to encourage publishers to take more risks. So it鈥檚 especially pleasing to hear Ali鈥檚 assessment of its impact.鈥� 

For more information on the prize visit www.gold.ac.uk/goldsmiths-prize.

Watch the interview with Ali Smith