Who Will Win “Hatchet Job Of The Year”?
Yes, they actually give a prize for that. Launched last year by The Omnivore website, the Hatchet Job of the Year prize is intended to “promote integrity and wit in literary journalism” by rewarding “the angriest, funniest, most trenchant book review of the past 12 months”, with the winning critic taking home a golden hatchet and a year’s supply of potted shrimp. The winner will be revealed on February 12. Last year’s prize was taken by Adam Mars-Jones, for his bitchy review of Michael Cunningham‘s “By Nightfall” in The Observer. “At the very least, shouldn’t a writer try to shield the kettle of language from further cracks by knowing the meanings of the words he uses?” asked Mars-Jones, adding “the book’s pages are filled with thoughts about art, or (more ominously) Thoughts about Art.”
