The Londoner: Mantel has Amis in her sights with a Booker drive-by

In today's Diary: Hilary Mantel on this year's Booker prize / Skin blasts festival organisers over race / Katy Brand's lucky escape / SNP MP opens up about depression
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25 September 2020

Hilary Mantel may not have been nominated for the Booker Prize this year, but she’s still got a killer literary instinct.

The Wolf Hall author says that the suggestion of blind judging book prizes “might lead to mischievous writers imitating each other” and adds cheekily “I bet quite a few of us could knock off a Martin Amis”.

Mantel’s literary drive-by came as the author discussed this year’s Booker Prize for the first time, in which she failed to make the shortlist with the third novel in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Her last two books have won the prize. “Naturally I’m disappointed but you can’t second guess the judges,” Mantel told the Sydney Morning Herald.

However, she did hint at disapproval of some of their methods.

Margaret Busby, chairwoman of judges, has said “the scope of this year’s books has allowed us to luxuriate in skilful storytelling and be surprised by what unheard voices have to articulate”.

Mantel, who was a judge in 1999, said “in my year we made a judgment purely on literary quality” and added she would “prefer the judges to keep their cards close to their chest”.

Glasto headliner Skin: Time to talk about race and festivals

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The musician Skin (above left) thinks it’s time to talk about race and festivals. Skin headlined Glastonbury in 1999 and hits out in her new memoir It Takes Blood and Guts at the 20-year gap between her performance and Stormzy’s last year. “That should be the discussion,” Skin, inset, writes, “the fact that black British artists are still considered a risk by festival organisers, seen as not big or important enough to top the bill. And when we do, look at us battling to remind the public of what we have achieved, jostling for position to be the first, the biggest, the greatest. As black artists, it seems like we have to crow from the rooftops to get heard.” Time for change.

Ella airs some regrets about sharing her private life...

ELLA EYRE says she’s been “misguided” in the past in being open about her private life. Previously the singer has spoken of her exes’ “inappropriate” behaviour, saying one “was texting people constantly”. But Eyre now tells the Standard, as she launches her podcast The Truth Flirts: “I am in the public eye, so it’s the way it is. I do think it is healthy to be open about love and sex.” Power to her.

Lucky escape to act the fool, says Brand

Dave Benett/WireImage

Comic Katy Brand says she was miffed to be cast as the jester in a school play “without any meaningful consultation”, but adds to Woman and Home: “In some ways, and with the full benefit of hindsight, perhaps I got off lightly. Given that one boy was dressed as Jimmy Savile.”

SW1A

Mumsnet

KIRSTY BLACKMAN, the SNP MP, has opened up about depression which left her often unable to get up from the sofa and “so sad and worried all of the time”. Though recovering now, Blackman said the process was slow and that work pressures had contributed to her ill health. “I don’t have a job where it’s possible to take time off. At least without feeling guilty.” The Londoner wishes Blackman well.

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PA

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace might want to give his staff a little picture refresher. Yesterday the MoD tweeted a link to a blog post on “Seven things you need to know about the United Nations”. Number one, it seems, is what it looks like, as they’d used a photo of the European Parliament. When we rang, the person in the press office blamed “whoever...” before catching themselves and soberly informing us “we just republished it”. Firing squad at dawn?

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