What Next - The Blulitzer?

Attention Blauthors: Limber up those fingers, polish up your grammar and don't forget to spell-check. The Brits are giving out literary awards for blog writings.

"The first short-list for a literary prize that rewards bloggers turned bookwriters has been announced. Dubbed the Blooker Prize, the contest is for those bloggers who have turned their episodic journals into something more substantial.

British entries on the Blooker short-list include the intimate diary of a prostitute and a guide to the UK's best "greasy spoon" cafes. The first winner of the Blooker Prize will be announced on 3 April.

The Blooker Prize was first suggested in October 2005 and was the creation of Bob Young, founder of self-publishing site Lulu which sponsors the prize.Books from blogs, or "blooks", were becoming hugely popular, said Mr Young. The entries are arranged into three categories - fiction, non-fiction and comics - and the winners of two of these sections get a cash prize of £550 ($1,000). The winner of the grand prize gets a cash prize of £1,100 ($2,000).

The short-list is dominated by US entries but the UK has two strong contenders in the running. One is notorious Belle De Jour, who blogs about life as a prostitute..."

Thanks to Manoj Joshi for the pointer.

Correction:  Because the link to this story is to a BBC article and the Booker Prize is British, I assumed that the Blooker Prize too is from Britain.  I have just been alerted by Coturnix, a veteran of the blogosphere, that the Blooker is actually awarded here in the US. Well, I guess since we have taken the "Blooker", the Brits can award the "Blulitzer" as a show of intercontinental reciprocity. Coturnix's comments below:

"British? Blooker Prize is awarded by Lulu.com, here in Raleigh, NC. Judges are Paul Jones (http://ibiblio.org/pjones/wordpress), Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing) and a techie blogger whose name escapes me right now."

"Blooker Prize actually has its own blog, so you can check out all the contestants, not just the finalists:
http://lulublookerprize.typepad.com/"

Comments

[coturnix]

British? Booker Prize is awarded by Lulu.com, here in Raleigh, NC. Judges are Paul Jones (http://ibiblio.org/pjones/wordpress), Cory Doctorow (BoingBoing) and a techie blogger whose name escapes me right now.

[Ruchira Paul]

Coturnix:
Thanks for the correction. I have added your comment to the main post.

[coturnix]

Thanks!
Blloker Prize actually has its own blog, so you can check out all the contestants, not just the finalists:
http://lulublookerprize.typepad.com/

[Nelly]

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