Well, who would you choose?Ms Baroque was lamenting the lack of coverage given to the Forward Poetry Prize nominations by bookshops and newspapers and I replied with a few dimly formed ideas. But when I looked at the Bloodaxe site, particularly their speel on Jack Mapanje (whose book, Beasts of Nalunga, is one of the Best Collection nominees), I begin to get the picture.
From that, here’s what Bloodaxe report on the Jack Mapanje feature from The Times:
The main feature was dropped from the paper, but the full story from Dalya Alberge can be found on the on-line version of The Times.
And here’s what they report concerning the feature in The Guardian:
Due to extensive news coverage of four Russian diplomats being expelled, plus Boris Johnson’s decision to stand as Mayor of London, all coverage of the Forward Prizes was dropped from the paper. However, the piece by John Ezard can be found on Guardian Unlimited.
It’s all a question of priorities. A right-wing buffoon entering the race for Mayor of London appeared more important to these newspapers than the poetry of a former political prisoner and dissident. The Times and The Guardian can share the blame, but it’s good to know that we can also blame the pathetic Boris Johnson. Anyone who votes for him needs his/her head examined.
