Salon

The last couple of weeks were quite turbulent in the world of literary awards. First, the head of the Swedish Nobel committee Horace Engdahl angered a whole nation by saying American literature was "insular" and as such could not compete on the international level. The prize went to a non-American writer, French author Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, whose biography includes various African and Latin American detours.

Many commentators, somewhat surprised by his victory, compared his books to Brazilian author Paolo Coelho, the master of pseudo-philosophical novels.

The Nobel Prize for literature has long been too sensitive to the issues of politics to make a real impact in the world of ideas.

Politics also surrounded the award of the Man Booker Prize for the best English-language novel written in Britain and the Commonwealth. The prize went to Aravind Adiga for his debut novel, "The White Tiger." Adiga, a graduate of two of the most prestigious universities of the Western world (Columbia and Oxford) and a former stringer for highly regarded publications, wrote a novel about a ruthless upstart who climbs up, tooth and nail, through the social hierarchy in Adiga's native India, not stopping at anything from blackmail to murder. The book is merciless toward Indian life in almost all of its manifestations, from the poorest slums to the most fashionable mansions. Many critics noted how the center of gravity in English-language literature has been shifting from mother countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom toward former colonies and dependencies -- a sign of a new literary continuum being formed.

In Russia, the shortlist for the Russian Booker Prize was announced. As usual, it included six novels, some written by beginners, some by authors with a solid portfolio. The jury chair, critic Yevgeny Sidorov, said the finalists were "various in style and genre." It may be so, but almost every book on the shortlist was described by readers and critics as "a motley mix of styles, stories and characters."

In Mikhail Yelizarov's "Librarian," a cult is formed around an obscure Soviet writer whose books, contained an occult message crucial for Russia's survival. Other characters from the authors on the shortlist include homeless children walking to Jerusalem, women who can't shake off the desire to write fiction, and a lonely ghost.

The winner will be announced in early December and will take home $20,000. The Russian Booker Prize is currently sponsored by BP, who took it up after "Open Russia," a Yukos-affiliated organization, fell apart. Is it just me, or does it look as though sponsoring the Russian Booker is bad for the business?