Tim Parks on Prizes, Awards, Coetzee and Rushdie

Published: July 29, 2006, 11:51 a.m.

Prizes are ridiculous. Winners are often poor writers. Short lists are political. The whole world kneels before a bunch of Swedish academics who only read books in translation... 

So what does Tim Parks really think of book awards? Listen up. You'll also get his thoughts on Salman Rushdie and J.M. Coetzee.