The Northern Book Award

The Northern Book Award is gaining some momentum. We now have an academic institution interested plus an international literary festival, a leading national newspaper and a national bookselling chain. So far so good. What I am trying to do is get an award up and running that will be judged on the main by people who read and don't critique for a living. So initially I would like two members of a library reading group, an independent bookseller, a chain bookseller plus a member of the public and Scott Pack from the acclaimed internet website, http://www.meandmybigmouth.typepad.com/ . Anybody who wears a linen suit, has ever worn a linen suit or has been to Hay on Wye will be excluded form participating. Anybody who subscribes to The Literary Review or celebrates being an 'Odernist' will be disbarred. I will chair but have no input in to which books are chosen. Now, I have to write to Alan Bennett to gain approval from this man of letters.