There was drama at the Pulitzer Prize last night. No fiction prize was awarded for the first time in 35 years. The judges were unable to reach a decision in the race between David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King, Karen Russel’s Swamplandia! and Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams.
Literary bigwigs in America have expressed shock. Jane Smiley — who won the prize in 1992 for her reimagining of King Lear, A Thousand Acres — sent an email to The Press Association saying, ‘I can’t believe there wasn’t a worthy one. It’s a shame. But sometimes a selection committee really cannot agree, and giving no award is the outcome. Too bad.’
Meanwhile, John Lewis Gaddis took the biography award for his life George F. Kennan, 24-year-old Sara Ganim won the journalism prize and the late Manning Marable secured the history title for Malcolm X: A life of reinvention, which was published shortly after his death.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in