The Bookseller/Diagram Prize awards bizarre book titles. Since 1978, the prize has been awarded almost every year, with winners chosen by Bookseller magazine. The submission process is straightforward, and winners receive international recognition and a large bottle of champagne. The 30th anniversary in 2008 will celebrate the contest’s history, with the winner competing for the Diagram of Diagrams award. The ability to make fun of literature is a time-honored tradition, and the authors of these titles deserve applause.
The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Weirdest Title of the Year is a bizarre award given to books whose names defy comprehension or logic. Since the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1978, the prize has been awarded nearly every year, with only two years without tomes oddly titled enough to receive credit. Bookseller/Diagram Prize winners are chosen by Bookseller magazine and receive international recognition for a quirky title.
The first winner of the Bookseller/Diagram Prize went to the superb Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice written by various authors. The book set the tone for the offbeat and occasionally eyebrow-raising titles singled out for the honor. Over the years, several titles have stood out as iconic examples of particular extravagance, including the obvious 1993 winner How to Avoid Huge Ships and Rick Pelicano and Lauren Tjaden’s strange but perhaps useful Bombproof your Horse.
The submission process for the Library/Schema award is quite straightforward. Librarians, teachers, and booksellers can submit prize suggestions before a set deadline. A list of finalists is compiled by Bookseller magazine and published for public voting. In addition to the plaudits and publicity for winning a Bookshop/Schema award, winners will also receive a large bottle of champagne.
In 2008, which will be the 30th anniversary of the Bookseller/Diagram award, several events are planned to honor the silly story of this contest. The award has much to celebrate, with 2008 having the most public votes the contest has ever received. The 2008 Winner If You Want To End Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs will compete against past winners to win the coveted Diagram of Diagrams award. Also, in September, a small book including a history of the winning books and highlights of the competition will be released, titled How to Avoid Huge Ships and Other Books with Implausible Titles.
Some may wonder why there is such blatant competition. But the ability of true literature lovers to make fun of their work and their passion is an ancient and time-honored tradition. Also, is it really possible to look at the titles People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead or The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling and not feel that the authors deserve some form of applause?
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