{"id":9257,"date":"2013-05-02T12:21:43","date_gmt":"2013-05-02T16:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/?p=9257"},"modified":"2013-07-13T11:34:08","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T15:34:08","slug":"granta-123-best-of-young-british-novelists-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/2013\/05\/02\/granta-123-best-of-young-british-novelists-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Granta 123 — Best of Young British Novelists 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, much of the literary world was abuzz when Granta<\/em>\u00a0announced their fourth\u00a0list of “Best of Young British Novelists,”\u00a0a once-per-decade\u00a0tradition\u00a0they started\u00a01983.<\/p>\n

Famously, their\u00a0past lists have\u00a0spotted the early talent of\u00a0young authors who have gone on to produce acclaimed work, such\u00a0as Martin Amis, Pat Barker, Julian Barnes, Rose Tremain, Alan Hollinghurst, Kazuo\u00a0Ishiguro, A.L. Kennedy, Adam Mars-Jones, Ian McEwan, Will Self, Jeanette Winterson, Monica Ali, Nicola Barker, David Mitchell, and A.L. Kennedy. Oh, she’s here twice;\u00a0if they’re young enough the first time around they can be selected the next decade as well.\u00a0Speaking of: Zadie\u00a0Smith and Adam Thirlwell, whom you’ll find in Granta 123<\/em>, also made the 2003 list. The authors don’t always go on to great success, of course (in fact, some don’t even go on to write). At any rate, I think it’s worth checking out the authors in the list, seeing which careers I want to follow.<\/p>\n

According to the introduction by soon-to-be-departing Granta<\/em> Editor John Freeman (from Cleveland, Ohio), over 150 authors submitted work for consideration. The general rules are that the writer had to be under forty on the date Granta 123<\/em> was published and had to be a British citizen. They bent the rules on that last one for Kamila Shamshie, who is on her way. Freeman says, “But exceptional writers call for exceptions.”<\/p>\n

\"Review

Review copy courtesy of Granta.<\/p><\/div>\n

The\u00a0hub-bub surrounding the list has quieted down, but it’s worth going back and reading the initial response to the current selections (and exclusions).\u00a0Meanwhile, I\u00a0will be reading each of the pieces in Granta 123<\/em> (most of which are, understandably, excerpts from forthcoming novels), and posting thoughts. As I post, I will update the list below with links.<\/p>\n