I really should not have been surprised, over the past few years, that Kerryn Goldsworthy (current book reviewer for "the Sydney Morning Herald" and ex-Miles Franklin Award judge) should have been able to predict the shortlist and then, later, the winner of the award. She reads many more of the possible nominees that I ever could, and she has the added advantage of being aware what the judges look for: insider knowledge no less. This year she's gone one further by taking my list of longlist possibles, then picking the full longlist of between ten and twelve, a shortlist of six and then a winner. Not being one to pass up such a challenge here's my longlist:
The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
His Illegal Self by Peter Carey
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Everything I Knew by Peter Goldsworthy
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
The Steele Diaries by Wendy James
Life in Seven Mistakes by Susan Johnson
Addition by Toni Jordan
The Good Parents by Joan London
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Breath by Tim Winton
My shortlist:
The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
The Spare Room by Helen Garner
Life in Seven Mistakes by Susan Johnson
The Good Parents by Joan London
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Breath by Tim Winton
And my winner: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
Now I'd be quite willing to bet Kerryn a bottle of red on each part of this award process, with the proviso that we can re-set our choices for shortlist and winner after the longlist is announced. Trouble is, I know I'm going to get soundly beaten.
