THE READING LIFE ... Xandria OOI

CELEBRITIES AND READING
There’s more to their pretty faces, arresting vocals and admirable achievements. Here’s proof that even celebrities turn to good old books to keep learning about the world around them. ERIC FORBES takes a respite from reading and talks to six famous Malaysians in the entertainment industry about their favourite books and how they find the time to read despite their tight schedules. THIS INSTALMENT: XANDRIA OOI

XANDRIA OOI is an emcee, newspaper columnist, author, television host and producer. The confident 26-year-old Malaysian beauty from Petaling Jaya is also the founder of her own production company, XO Productions, which she established in 2008.

Ooi is off to a flying start in 2010. “The year 2009 was amazing in terms of career achievements: my first TV production with my company, XO Productions, the launch of my book, Love, Work and Everything in Between, as well as a design collaboration with one of Malaysia’s premier fashion designers, Sonny San.”

What are her plans for 2010? “This year, it’s all about surpassing the work satisfaction of the year before as well as starting a new phase of life as a married woman! So, yes, 2010 is going to be pretty good. I’ll be producing another TV show and—hopefully—working out a couple of major endorsement deals. My fiancé and I bought a house together and are at the moment working on moving in before our wedding, which is sometime in October or November. So, as you can imagine, there are lots to be done—house design, renovation, decoration as well as coordinating and planning the wedding!”

Ooi hopes to complete production by August so that she will have two months at her disposal to plan for her wedding. “As always, I will still be emceeing events and continue to write my fortnightly column in The Star.”

Interview by ERIC FORBES
Photographs courtesy of XANDRIA OOI

Where do you find the time to read with your busy schedule?
I sneak in time to read anywhere and anytime—whilst waiting for someone (I don’t mind people being not on time as long as I have a book with me!), during photo shoots (I read when I’m getting my hair done or waiting for the shoot to be set up) or you’ll catch me eating with one hand and holding a book with the other. I know this is very anti-social, but when a book’s good, I just can’t put it down. That’s exactly why I try my best not to start reading a book just before I go to bed, because then I won’t be able to put it down and wind up sleeping only at six in the morning when I get to the last page. I’m terrible that way.

Do you think reading matters?
Yes, incredibly so. Reading improves our language skills, gives us an insight into the world we live in, influences us to think out of the box, and makes us less judgmental and more open-minded. Reading teaches us about the power of the imagination. It is an exercise for the mind where the possibilities are endless.

What kinds of books did you read when you were growing up?
All kinds! You name it, I’ve read it. I loved Enid Blyton, the Archie comics, the Sweet Valley series, R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, Christopher Pike ... I would devour books for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Who are some of your favourite contemporary writers?
I love Laurell K. Hamilton who wrote the Anita Blake vampire hunter novels. Her books are full of vampires, werewolves and all things fantastic, supernatural and magical, which I can’t get enough of. I love Jill Mansell for her quick British humour and creative yet realistic characters. And I really like the late Swedish novelist and journalist Stieg Larsson whose trilogy of crime novels is storytelling at its compelling best.

What are some of your favourite contemporary books?
Gosh, there are so many of them! Off the top of my head would be Karen Miller’s fantasy trilogy Godspeaker and Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Played with Fire.

What about Stieg Larsson’s first book in the trilogy, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? Have you read this? The third book in the trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, has just been released.
Yes, I just finished the third book! I love the trilogy, and wish there were more to come!

Do you have an all-time favourite book? Why do you enjoy it?
I have so many all-time favourite books! The problem with me is that I’ve read so many great novels (because my parents used to own a bookshop!) that I tend to remember the story rather than the author or the title. But my favourite genre of books for the past few years has been Fantasy. Any book that revolves around magic that’s laced with good humour and compelling characters, I’ll be hooked.

What are the elements in fiction that take your breath away? In other words, what do you think are the essentials of good fiction? What distinguishes the great novels from the merely good?
The storytelling and the emotional connection that the readers have with the character or characters are vital. When an author has the ability to make you feel the scene, be it happy, sad or angry, you are absorbed and transported into the story. When a story is well written, I feel like I’m an invisible figure in the story, silently watching all that’s unravelling before my very eyes.

What are you reading at the moment?
Lori Lansens’s Rush Road Home. It’s been a slow read so far as I haven’t found the story to be particularly compelling! Let me retract that; I’ve just finished the book and it was really good! Teaches me not to judge a book by the first chapter! (Lansens has a new novel, The Wife’s Tale.)

What are your thoughts on the future of books, particularly on e-books and e-book readers? Do you think they will replace physical books one of these days?
I honestly hope not. My fiancé reads books and comics on his iPod and his touch-screen mobile phone, and I keep telling him nothing can replace a solid, real book. On the other hand, I can appreciate how convenient it is for him, as he always carries his mobile phone with him and can easily whip it out to read whenever he has to wait for someone or pass the time.

Personally, I prefer physical books, but at the same time, I am not as against e-books as I once was. E-books can be more cost-saving, as some can even be downloaded from the Internet for free; and if it can encourage people to read more, then I’m all for it. However, I don’t think e-books will replace physical books in the future, but they are likely to become the preferred method of reading in the years to come.

Reproduced from the April-June 2010 issue of Quill magazine

O Thiam Chin & Wena POON

SINGAPOREAN short-story writers O Thiam Chin and Wena POON are on the longlist for the 2010 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize, the world’s richest and most prestigious prize for the short story, sponsored by Cork City Council, Ireland. Now in its sixth year, it is awarded to the best new collection of stories of the year. Both were nominated for their second collections: O for Never Been Better (MPH Publishing, 2009) and Poon for The Proper Care of Foxes (Ethos Books, 2009). This is Poon’s second longlisting: her début collection, Lions in Winter (MPH Publishing, 2007/Salt Publishing, 2009), was also longlisted for the same prize in 2008. O will be appearing at the 2010 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival on October 6-10, 2010.

Other writers in the running include Richard Bausch, Laura van den Berg, Louis de Bernières, Belle Boggs, T.C. Boyle, David Constantine, Patrick Gale, Angelica Garnett, Alyson Hagy, Mark Illis, Billie Livingston, Lorraine M. López, Thomas Lynch, Martin Malone, Owen Marshall, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Lori Ostlund, Ron Rash, Robert Shearman, Sam Shepard, Michèle Roberts, Peter Robinson, Helen Simpson and Tiphanie Yanique, amongst others. López was recently shortlisted for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories. Ostlund recently won the 2010 California Book Award for First Fiction with The Bigness of the World.

Tom RACHMAN ... The Imperfectionists (The Dial Press/Random House, April 2010)

2010 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award LONGLIST

THE MUNSTER LITERATURE CENTRE is pleased to announce the longlist for the 2010 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award for the best collection of stories. The longlist is almost evenly split between women and men this year with 28 men and 26 women. The strength of the short story in the US is reflected by that country’s overwhelming number of longlistees (21). This year is also noted for a surge of entries from Asia, accounting for one-fifth of all titles. There are three Irish nominees this year including Nuala Ni Chonchuir, the first author to be longlisted for the third time, Donal McLaughlin and Martin Malone. There are two Singaporean nominees: O Thiam Chin and Wena Poon.

Famous names in the longlist include Richard Bausch, Laura van den Berg, Louis de Bernières, David Constantine, Patrick Gale, Angelica Garnett, Thomas Lynch, Owen Marshall, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Ron Rash, Robert Shearman, Sam Shepard, T.C. Boyle, Michèle Roberts, Peter Robinson and Helen Simpson. Lorraine M. López was shortlisted for the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. There are a number of first collections by Louis de Bernières, Belle Boggs, Craig Cliff, Holly Goddard Jones, Mark Illis, Barb Johnson, Billie Livingston, Donal McLaughlin, Lori Ostlund, Anne Sanow, Sarah Selecky, Anis Shivani, Justin Taylor, Laura van den Berg and Tiphanie Yanique.

Irish novelist Mary Morrissey, Nadine O’Regan, arts editor of the Sunday Business Post and Diana Reich, former Orange Prize judge and a curator of the Small Wonder short-story festival in the south of England are judges this time round.

The Cork City-Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award is the world’s richest and most prestigious prize for the form and is sponsored by Cork City Council. Now in its sixth year, it is awarded to the best new collection of the year.

1. Laburnum for My Head (Penguin India, 2009) / Temsula Ao (India)
2. Something Is Out There (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) / Richard Bausch (US)
3. Memoirs of a Gone World (Salt, 2010) / Martin Bax (UK)
4. If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This (Picador, 2010) / Robin Black (US)
   
5. Miracle Boy and Other Stories (Press 53, 2010) / Pinckney Benedict (US)
6. Notwithstanding (Harvill Secker, 2009) / Louis de Bernières (UK)
7. Mattaponi Queen (Graywolf Press, 2010) / Belle Boggs (US)
8. Wild Child (Bloomsbury, 2009) / T.C. Boyle (US)
9. Tales in Colour and Other Stories (Zubaan/Penguin India, 2009) / Kunzang Choden (Bhutan)
10. Nude (Salt, 2009) / Nuala Ní Chonchúir (Ireland)
11. A Man Melting (Vintage/Random House, 2010) / Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
12. The Washer of the Dead (Zubaan/Penguin India, 2010) / Venita Coelho (India)
13. The Shieling (Comma Press, 2009) / David Constantine (UK)
14. The Haunted Heart and Other Tales (Lethe Press, 2009) / Jameson Currier (US)
15. Ronald Reagan, My Father (ECW Press, 2010) / Brian Joseph Davis (Canada)
16. Circus Bulgaria (Portobello Books, 2010) / Deyan Enev (Bulgaria)
17. Call Me Ahab (University of Nebraska Press, 2009) / Anne Finger (US)
18. Gentleman’s Relish (Fourth Estate, 2009) / Patrick Gale (UK)
19. The Unspoken Truth (Chatto & Windus/Random House, 2010) / Angelica Garnett (UK)
20. Girl Trouble (Harper Perennial, 2009) / Holly Goddard Jones (US)
21. Dangerous Places (BkMk Press, 2009) / Perry Glasser (US)
22. Ghosts of Wyoming (Graywolf Press, 2010) / Alyson Hagy (US)
23. Luck (Penguin, 2009) / Dhruba Hazarika (India)
24. Tender (Salt, 2009) / Mark Illis (UK)
25. More of This World or Maybe Another (Harper Perennial, 2009) / Barb Johnson (US)
26. Greedy Little Eyes (Random House Canada, 2010) / Billie Livingston (Canada)
27. Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories (BkMk Press, 2009) / Lorraine M. López (US)
28. Apparition and Late Fictions: A Novella and Stories (Jonathan Cape/W.W. Norton, 2010) / Thomas Lynch (US)
29. Twelve Stories (Salt, 2009) / Paul Magrs (UK)
30. The Mango War and Other Stories (New Island, 2009) / Martin Malone (Ireland)
31. Living as a Moon (Vintage/Random House, 2009) / Owen Marshall (New Zealand)
32. An Allergic Reaction to National Anthems (Argyll Publishing, 2009) / Donal McLaughlin (Northern Ireland)
33. The Bigness of the World (University of Georgia Press, 2009) / Lori Ostlund (US)
34. Never Been Better (MPH Publishing, 2009) / O Thiam Chin (Singapore)
35. The Bone Garden and Other Stories (Rupantar, 2009) / Manoj Kumar Panda (India)
36. The Proper Care of Foxes (Ethos Books, 2009) / Wena Poon (Singapore)
37. Further Adventures in the Restless Universe (Dzanc Books, 2010) / Dawn Raffel (US)
38. Killing the Water (Penguin India, 2010) / Mahmud Rahman (Bangladesh)
39. Mud: Stories of Sex and Love (Little, Brown, 2010) / Michèle Roberts (UK)
40. Burning Bright (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2010) / Ron Rash (US)
41. The Price of Love (Hodder & Stoughton, 2009) / Peter Robinson (UK)
42. Triple Time (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009) / Anne Sanow (US)
43. This Cake Is for the Party (Thomas Allen Publishers, 2010) / Sarah Selecky (Canada)
44. Eating Women, Telling Tales: Stories About Food (Zubaan/Penguin India, 2010) / Bulbul Sharma (India)
45. Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical (Big Finish, 2009) / Robert Shearman (UK)
46. Day Out of Days (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) / Sam Shepard (US)
47. Anatolia and Other Stories (Black Lawrence Press, 2009) / Anis Shivani (US)
48. In-Flight Entertainment (Jonathan Cape, 2010) / Helen Simpson (UK)
49. Chattering (Granta, 2010) / Louise Stern (US)
50. Venus Crossing (Penguin, 2009) / Kalpana Swaminathan (India)
51. Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever (Harper Perennial, 2010) / Justin Taylor (US)
52. Super Girl (Faber & Faber, 2009) / Ruth Thomas (UK)
53. What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us (Dzanc Books, 2009) / Laura van den Berg (US)
54. Chinese Stories in Times of Change (Muse Publishing, 2009) / David T.K. Wong (China)
55. How to Escape from a Leper Colony: A Novella and Stories (Graywolf Press, 2010) / Tiphanie Yanique (US Virgin Islands)
    

A shortlist of six will be announced in July 2010. The winner will be chosen in September 2010 and will receive the award at the close of the world’s oldest annual short-story festival in Cork, Ireland. Previous winners of this award include Haruki Murakami (Japan), Jhumpa Lahiri (US) and Simon Van Booy (UK). On two occasions the award has gone to an author for their first book: Yiyun Li (China) in 2005 and Miranda July (US) in 2007.

THE READING LIFE ... RESHMONU

CELEBRITIES AND READING
There’s more to their pretty faces, arresting vocals and admirable achievements. Here’s proof that even celebrities turn to good old books to keep learning about the world around them. ERIC FORBES takes a respite from reading and talks to six famous Malaysians in the entertainment industry about their favourite books and how they find the time to read despite their busy schedules. THIS INSTALMENT: RESHMONU

RESHMONU, whose real name is Hiresh Haridas, is a singer-songwriter who sings mostly in English and Malay. A former sound engineer, he is known for popular songs such as “Walk Away”, “Cintaku Pergi”, “Hey Waley” and “Superfine”, as well as for his hip hairstyles. It has been a hectic year for Reshmonu as he has just set up a group of companies to help support the Malaysian music industry: a talent management company, a record label that concentrates on music in its digital format, a music publishing house, a music production/studio facility and a video production facility that specialises in high-definition videos.

Interview by ERIC FORBES
Photographs courtesy of RESHMONU

Where do you find the time to read with your busy schedule?
It’s indeed tough finding the time to read whilst starting a family, but now that all that has settled down, there are pockets of time here and there.

Do you think reading matters today?
Yes, reading is definitely important as reading is the first step in acquiring knowledge. It is also a good alternative when you need a little rest and relaxation.

What kinds of books did you read when you were growing up?
Fiction, comics, general knowledge, encyclopedias, etc.

Who are some of your favourite contemporary writers? What are some of your favourite contemporary books?
David Davidar’s The House of Blue Mangoes and Thomas L. Friedman’s The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century.

Do you have an all-time favourite book? Why do you enjoy it?
Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days—because it took me 80 days to read it! However, it has gotten easier and better over the years!

Assuming you enjoy reading fiction, what are the elements in fiction that take your breath away? In other words, what do you think are the essentials of good fiction? What distinguishes the great novels from the merely good? (If you prefer reading nonfiction, tell my why. Perhaps you enjoy reading both fiction and nonfiction?)
Fiction allows one to explore the unexplored and stretches one’s imagination, and this is especially useful in the creative world I live in. Not to mention its unpredictability. So exploration, imagination and unpredictability, I believe, are essential elements of good fiction. A great novel to me is one that possesses a sense of truth and reality.

What are you reading at the moment?
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin’s Three Cups of Tea, an account of an American mountaineer’s failed attempt to climb the world’s second-highest mountain, who ends up building schools in a remote part of the world. This is a very inspiring account of one man’s noble deeds to his fellow men.

What are your thoughts on the future of books, particularly on e-books and e-book readers? Do you think they will replace physical books one of these days?
Yes, I believe it will happen one day as we are all for saving Mother Earth these days, and if I were to choose between a physical book or the planet ... the latter definitely wins hands down.

Reproduced from the April-June 2010 issue of Quill magazine

Alan SILLITOE (1928-2010)

What I Found at ... Kinokuniya KLCC

Peter PORTER (1929-2010)

THE READING LIFE ... Lina TEOH

CELEBRITIES AND READING
There’s more to their pretty faces, arresting vocals and admirable achievements. Here’s proof that even celebrities turn to good old books to keep learning about the world around them. ERIC FORBES takes a respite from reading and talks to famous Malaysians in the entertainment industry about their favourite books and how they find the time to read despite their busy schedules. THIS INSTALMENT: LINA TEOH

FORMER MISS MALAYSIA/Miss World 1998 LINA TEOH has over 15 years’ experience in the Malaysian entertainment and television industry as a TV presenter, scriptwriter, actor and radio presenter/producer. In the past 4 years, she has focused her attentions mostly in the production of documentaries and is involved in many aspects of the production process, including research and development, producing and directing. Teoh, who began her career in the fashion industry as a model at the age of 17, recently produced Among the Great Apes with Michelle Yeoh, a 50-minute documentary for the National Geographic Channel. Other production credits include Smart Tunnel for the National Geographic Channel (associate producer) and The Lion Dance King for the Discovery Channel (writer/producer/director).

Interview by ERIC FORBES
Photographs courtesy of LINA TEOH

How do you find the time to read with your busy schedule?
I actually have to read a lot for my work on a daily basis but on a leisurely basis I don’t read anywhere as much as I’d like to! It’d be great if there were more hours in the day! I tend to read on planes and before I go to sleep. Reading a good book while on holiday by the beach or the pool is one of my most favourite things to do. I almost always have a book with me just in case I get the odd moment to read.

Do you think reading matters?
Reading always matters! Without it we know nothing about the world or life and our lives would remain very sheltered. Of course, it goes hand in hand with writing which is equally important. Literature has been used from the beginning of time to share stories, information and knowledge. Reading opens our minds and allows us to learn about many different things. Today, with the Internet, we are now able to transfer knowledge and stories so much faster than ever before, so yes, I believe reading is even more important than ever today.

What kinds of books did you read when you were growing up?
Well, my mum says that I just loved to read from a very early age. I learnt to read before I went to school and have always just loved books. My whole life, I have never gone anywhere without bringing something to read. My whole childhood I wouldn’t go anywhere without a book under my arm. I loved reading adventure stories and was a big Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl fan.

Do you have an all-time favourite book? Why do you enjoy it?
I’m afraid there’s far too many to single out one!

Assuming you enjoy reading fiction, what are the elements in fiction that take your breath away? In other words, what do you think are the essentials of good fiction? What distinguishes the great novels from the merely good? (If you prefer reading nonfiction, tell my why. Perhaps you enjoy reading both fiction and nonfiction?)
I actually enjoy reading mostly nonfiction books. I love autobiographies because I love reading true stories about people’s lives. We all have such different experiences in life and I feel by reading about other people it gives us more compassion and creates a greater understanding towards our fellow men. And I always feel so inspired when I hear of the challenges people have overcome in their lives. It always makes my problems seem so insignificant. I also enjoy reading inspirational or motivational books.

What are you reading at the moment?
I have been reading lots of books on Japan in preparation for a holiday in Tokyo! Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia and Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose are also current favourites.

Reproduced from the April-June 2010 issue of Quill magazine

2010 Edge Hill Short Story Prize LONGLIST

BIG NAMES in the literary world as well as screenwriters, an actor and a comedian have entered their works for the 2010 Edge Hill University’s Short Story Prize.

The unique accolade, now in its third year, is the UK’s only literary award that recognises a published collection of short stories and has attracted entries from a number of distinguished writers and newcomers all competing for the winning title.

This year’s event, which also celebrates the University’s 125th anniversary celebrations, has seen submissions from high-profile names such as Robert Shearman, writer for the Doctor Who TV series and who has recently been nominated for this year’s Shirley Jackson award, Jeremy Dyson, co-creator of The League of Gentlemen, and famous novelist and comedian A.L. Kennedy, pitted against newer talents such as Jane Feaver and Sian Hughes.

The longlist has on it an impressive wide range of writers—comedians and comic writers, scriptwriters, poets, science fiction writers and even includes work by actor Ben Moor.

Chris Beckett, the 2009 winner of the Edge Hill Short Story Prize and who is on the judging panel for this year’s awards, said: “The range of work that has been submitted this year is very impressive, and I am sure it is going to be very difficult to whittle it down to a shortlist, let alone to pick a winner and a runner-up. Having won the prize last year, I think I will find this particularly hard, because I know from first-hand experience how much this prize can mean for a writer, and therefore how much may hang on our decision as judges.

“This is a unique prize in that it is the UK’s only literary award for single author short-story collections. Winning it last year has made a huge difference for me in terms of my sense of myself as a writer, but also in very much more practical terms: I have a two-book contract as a direct result, and have been able to reduce my working hours in my ‘day job’ to spend more time on writing. I hope the 2010 winner, whoever it may turn out to be, will find that the Edge Hill Prize opens similar doors for them into the competitive literary world.”

The entries are as follows:

• Regi Claire: Fighting It (Two Ravens Press, 2009). She has been twice shortlisted for a Saltire Book of the Year Award.
• David Constantine: The Sheiling (Comma Press, 2009). The contemporary British award-winning poet and translator is co-editor of the literary journal Modern Poetry in Translation.
• Jeremy Dyson: The Cranes that Build Cranes (Little, Brown, 2009). The famous English screenwriter is the co-creator of The League of Gentlemen.
• Jane Feaver: Love Me Tender (Random House, 2009). The newcomer is a critically acclaimed novelist.
• Patrick Gale: Gentleman’s Relish (HarperCollins, 2009). His father was a prison governor and Gale’s work reflects his life being brought up in and around prisons. His stories are frequently broadcast on Radio 4.
• Sian Hughes: The Beach Hut (Biscuit Publishing, 2009). Winner of the 2006 Arvon International Poetry Competition.
• Mark Illis: Tender (Salt Publishing, 2009). The author regularly writes for popular TV soap Emmerdale as well as radio plays and other TV dramas.
• A.L. Kennedy: What Becomes (Jonathan Cape, 2009). In between being a comedian and a lecturer, Kennedy still finds the time to be a prolific writer of stories. She was also a judge for the Edge Hill Prize in 2007.
• Tom Lee: Greenfly (Harvill Secker, 2009). His stories have appeared in the U.S. as well as being broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
• Declan Meade: Life in the Universe (The Stinging Fly, 2009). He is the founding editor of The Stinging Fly, a literary magazine publishing poetry, short stories, reviews and creative nonfiction.
• Ben Moor: More Trees to Climb (Portobello, 2009). The actor and writer has starred in several films including Dead Man Running and his television credits include Time Gentlemen Please and Fist of Fun.
• Nuala Ní Chonchúir: Nude (Salt Publishing, 2009). Last year she was selected to be writer in residence for the 2009 Cúirt International Festival of Literature.
• Philip O Ceallaigh: The Pleasant Light of Day (Penguin, 2009). His first collection of stories won the Glen Dimplex New Writers Award. He also won the 2006 Rooney Prize.
• Robert Shearman: Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical (Big Finish, 2009). He is best known as a writer for Doctor Who, his short-story writing and for his association with Jarvis & Ayres Productions which has resulted in six plays for BBC Radio 4.
• Charles Stross: Wireless (Little, Brown, 2009). The writer won the 2006 and 2007 Locus Award for best novella.
• Craig Taylor: One Million Tiny Plays About Britain (Bloomsbury, 2009). Described as ‘Alan Bennett meets Ricky Gervais’ his work has gained a cult following.
• Douglas Thompson: Ultrameta (Eibonvale Press, 2009). A biographer, broadcaster and international journalist, he won second prize in the Neil Gunn Writing Competition in 2007.
• Simon Van Booy: Love Begins in Winter (Beautiful Books, 2009). He has previously won the 2009 Frank O’Connor Prize International Short Story Prize, the world’s richest and most prestigious prize for short stories.
  

The shortlist will be revealed on May 8, 2010, and the winners announced at an awards ceremony in July at the Charing Cross Blackwell Store in London.