Crime Beat: The meaning of prizes

by Mike Nicol on Jun 25th, 2010

How wonderful that Peter Temple’s extraordinary Truth should be awarded Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin literary award. Temple is one of the great stylists of crime fiction and there was every reason for his novel to take a literary award, it is simply well written, but as he said, “I never expected to have a chance.” His achievement aside, equally important is the fact that the judges thought it worth considering – and honouring – a hardcore genre novel. I can’t see it happening here for many a year, just as Ian Rankin can’t see a crime thriller taking the Mann Booker. So there is much to celebrate in the Australian’s decision.

And while on the topic of awards, the 2010 M-Net Literary Prize shortlists and M-Net Film Award shortlists in English and Afrikaans have been announced, and a number of crime novels are nominated: Karin Brynard’s Plaasmoord, Wessel Ebersohn’s The October Killings, Jassy Mackenzie’s My Brother’s Keeper, Chris Karsten’s Seisoen van Sonde, and Piet Steyn’s Bottelnek. Two books that flirt with the genre, Andrew Brown’s Refuge and Carel van der Merwe’s Geldwolf have also got the nod.

Prizes are useful, firstly, because writers can usually do with the extra bucks, and secondly because they come with some handy publicity. Peter Temple’s an interesting case as far as prizes go: he won Australia’s Ned Kelly five times and this no doubt helped him find a UK publisher and worldwide fame. Once his books started appearing in the UK he picked up a Crime Writers’ Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger in 2007, and reviewers wondered how and why he’d not been noticed by anyone outside Australia earlier. Undoubtedly Deon Meyer’s much lauded career has also benefitted from the various Afrikaans prizes he’s won. And now he’s up for a CWA International Dagger.

Thing is, aside from the Sunday Times Literary Award and the Debut award from Johannesburg University and the rather odd M-Net categories that’s all there is for English fiction. As far as the genres are concerned, well, nothing. Crime fiction, as I continully bang on, is new and needs encouragement. There is every indication that sales across the genre are improving, but it is disappointing to hear a major radio presenter admit on air that she’s never heard of Deon Meyer. Why not? Is it because she doesn’t read the books pages in the newspapers? Possibly. Awards help writers make the leap from the review pages into that household name league. Well, to a degree.

Doesn’t discount the fact that we need a local crime fiction award.