Gideon Bannerman’s father established The Bannerman Prize for Literature in 1956. His father planned on becoming a champion of the Arts using the prize to aid in his push for parliament. The Bannerman Prize is the only thing left of enduring value, all that remains of his legacy.

In the present, as this year’s shortlist for the prize is announced, Gideon goes missing. His best friend, Tasha, who chairs the prize, is left with an empty envelope, her name written on the front. Tasha believes that Gideon has met a nefarious end. Meanwhile, while the search goes on, so does the looming date when the winner of the Bannerman Prize will be announced.

The Bannerman Prize is obviously based on the Booker Prize, even though the Booker is mentioned throughout the narrative.

What makes this my favourite read of the year are the six stories about the shortlisted authors. Each one of them could become a novel itself. They have nothing to do with the main narrative arc of the missing Gideon, apart from the fact that they are stories about the shortlisted authors. What a wonderful, nuanced group they are. All the stereotypical authors are represented. The debut author. The perennial shortlisted author who has already won two prizes. The controversial author, whose entry consists entirely of text messages between lovers as their relationship slowly erodes. The author who wants to be taken off the list.

If you are a reader who follows literary prizes, in particular the Booker, you will love The Bannerman Shortlist as much as I did. Brilliant!

Reviewed by Neale Lucas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Colin Batrouney is a Melbourne-based writer. His second novel, Creative Writing for Beginners, is published by Affirm Press in 2013.

He has occasionally worked in professional theatre as both an actor and director. He has never attended a creative writing course.