Local book prizes buck foreign sales trend<\/p>\n
By Sori Siregar<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): \"Literary awards don't encourage writers to
\nwrite but they do encourage people to read.\" That was the
\nstatement Graham Swift made to reporters after winning the Booker
\nPrize in London last October.<\/p>\n
Swift's works have been nominated twice for the prestigious
\nBooker Prize. One of them, Last Order, won in 1996. But Swift's
\nstatement was not exaggerated or quixotic. And this proved right
\nas far as the Booker Prize awarded for books was concerned. The
\nprize winning books had different sales figures before they were
\nshortlisted, when they were being shortlisted and after they won
\nthe prize.<\/p>\n
Besides, as Martyn Goff, who edited and introduced the
\ncollection of writing by Booker Prize past winners in \"Prize
\nWriting\", said, it was not only by the number of additional
\ncopies sold that the Booker Prize affected winners but also by
\nestablishing worldwide reputations.<\/p>\n
Fiction and non-fiction have been around in Europe for ages.
\nEuropean writing tradition was established profoundly hundreds of
\nyears ago. It is worth noting that the publication of books there
\nhas nothing directly to do with prizes awarded by committees such
\nas the Booker committee, even though it is important to emphasize
\nthat prize winning books may sell at unprecedented levels.<\/p>\n
This may also apply to fiction writers from Commonwealth
\ncountries whose publishers have submitted their books to the
\nBooker committee, and those from developing countries like
\nIndonesia. But, generally, people don't write books to win
\nprizes.<\/p>\n
Despite their knowledge that if they are rewarded, their
\npublic stature would rise in the eyes of the public and their
\nbook sales would increase, serious fiction writers put everything
\non paper they think necessary to enrich the hearts and minds of
\nothers. It sounds idealistic or weird. Certainly, it does not
\nconcern popular fiction writers who eagerly accumulate money in
\none bound or want to turn into overnight literary stars.<\/p>\n
But there is no doubt that literary prizes are significant.
\nThey should not be seen as encouragement for writers to write,
\nbut it is undeniable that it will help writers find an audience.
\nA literary prize can also act as a signpost for readers
\nindicating more worthwhile books and raise the profile of serious
\nfiction.<\/p>\n
In England, writers and readers have become familiar with the
\nBooker Prize, while in the United States the Pulitzer Prize, the
\nNational Book Award and the American Book Award are awarded to
\naccomplished writers yearly. For a similar purpose, the privately
\nsponsored Hadiah Yayasan Buku Utama and the government-sponsored
\nAnugerah Seni are awarded to Indonesian literary works each year.
\nThus far, only the two awards have been institutionalized.<\/p>\n
On occasion<\/p>\n
Previously, occasional prizes were awarded to local writers.
\nThey are called occasional prizes because they are not presented
\nregularly to selected writers. Hadiah Sastra Yamin or the Yamin
\nLiterary Award and Hadiah Sastra Badan Musyawarah Kebudayaan
\nNasional (BKMN) or the National Consultative Body's Literary
\nAward could be categorized as occasional prizes.<\/p>\n
Similar prizes are also contributed today by a number of
\nweeklies and magazines through competitions for short-story
\nwriters, poets and series writers.<\/p>\n
Therefore the news about the Chairil Anwar Award's
\nreinstatement by the Arts Council of Jakarta must be welcomed.
\nSince Mochtar Lubis received this award a few years ago, no one
\nhas heard about the prize although there are writers who would be
\neligible to bag it. Competitions for novels and plays are no
\nlonger included in the Arts Council's program.<\/p>\n
Which of these prizes is most respected is a question which
\nneed not be asked. Time will tell. The most important thing is
\nthat by giving the prizes, greater attention will be paid to the
\nachievement of Indonesian fiction writers. This could be
\nsupported by the press which might expose it widely throughout
\nthe country as was the case of Hadiah Sastra Yamin and Hadiah
\nSastra BMKN in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
Rocketing sales of Booker Prize winning books and the
\ncirculation hike of Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
\nwinners in the United States are common in the two countries;
\nunlike the sales of local prize winning books in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Local prizes awarded to local writers do not automatically
\nincrease their book sales. Most readers still look for popular
\nfiction which is readily found in bookstores. This might indicate
\nthat serious fiction in our country remains destitute and
\nunheeded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/local-book-prizes-buck-foreign-sales-trend-1447893297",
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