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Shortlists for James Tait Black Memorial Prizes announced

Source: List.co.uk
Date: 2 May 2008

The 2008 nominations for the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes, Britain's oldest literary awards, have been announced. The Prizes are awarded annually by the University of Edinburgh for the best work of fiction and the best biography published during the previous year.

Contenders for the biography prize include accounts on two influential names from the Victorian age - philosopher and political economist John Stuart Mill, and architect Augustus Pugin who designed the Houses of Parliament.

There is also a book about blues singer Blind Willie McTell, novelist Edith Wharton and Joseph Stalin's early years.

The novels and biographies competing for the £10,000 prizes are:

Fiction shortlist

Our Horses in Egypt by Rosalind Belben;
The Devil's Footprints by John Burnside;
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid;
A Far Country by Daniel Mason;
Salvage by Gee Williams.

Biography shortlist

Hand Me My Travelin' Shoes: In Search of Blind Willie McTell by Michael Gray;
God's Architect: Pugin and the Building of Romantic Britain by Rosemary Hill;
Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee;
Young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore;
John Stuart Mill:Victorian Firebrand by Richard Reeves.

The broadcaster James Naughtie will announce the winners at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Festival in August.

More: News, Books, Daniel Mason, Gee Williams, Hermione Lee, James Naughtie, James Tait Black Memorial, John Burnside, Michael Gray, Mohsin Hamed, Richard Reeves, Rosalind Belben, Rosemary Hill, Simon Sebag Montefiore, University of Edinburgh