This course explores the history of one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards – The Man Booker Prize. First awarded in 1969, the aim of the Prize is to “promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom”, which includes works written by authors from the Commonwealth, including Canada. The course will focus on some of the highlights of the Prize’s history, such as Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children (1981), Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day (1989), Ondaatje’s The English Patient (1992), Atwood’s The Blind Assassin (2000), and Martel’s Life of Pi (2002). We will also discuss the many controversies surrounding the award over the years, and broader debates, such as how literary prizes shape our tastes, the criteria for judging literary “quality,” and the always contentious relationship between the work of art, popularity, and commercial interests.
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Instructor: Dr. Jared McGeough
Jared McGeough (PhD, Western) has taught a variety of courses in Canadian, Romantic, Victorian, and Edwardian literature at Concordia (Montreal), the University of Regina, and ELLA. Current projects include editing digital editions of 19th-century author William Godwin’s educational books for children, and writing a biography of his father, former NHL referee Mick McGeough. In his spare time, Jared enjoys board games, as well as writing, recording, and performing music.
