It is a matter of utmost pain to those authors in the Commonwealth who every year wrote to compete in the Booker Prize. For years, the Booker Prize helped the Commonwealth create a new generation of writing. Among many, Indians such as Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Arundhoti Roy, Arvind Adiga, etc have the privilege to showcase their talent at such a platform through their masterpieces.
But it seems the luxury of being able to win the Booker for the authors from the Commonwealth would be absolutely lost with the coveted prize choosing to entertain enteries from the world over. Since number of English fiction is written and published in the US, the Commonwealth authors are afraid that they will lose the chance of winning one because the wealthy US will overshadow it with its commercial impact.
But it seems the luxury of being able to win the Booker for the authors from the Commonwealth would be absolutely lost with the coveted prize choosing to entertain enteries from the world over. Since number of English fiction is written and published in the US, the Commonwealth authors are afraid that they will lose the chance of winning one because the wealthy US will overshadow it with its commercial impact.
There are authors who have regarded the move as a Commonwealth company going global, pointing towards the commercial angle behind the move. It is important that the prize remains a sanctified platform in order to give a level playing ground. But the inclusion of the US will overtime overshadow everything. There should not be any surprise if every year we see an American winning it.\
I'd urge the committee to please think again.
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