Monday, December 04, 2006

Two Big Things

There are two big things happening in the literary world this week. By far the most important is the London launch of the novel Coven of One by Kate Bousfield. Kate, of course, is better known to readers of this blog as The Inner Minx. The event takes place at The Bookseller Crow on the Hill on December 9th at 6.30pm. More details on the Minx's blog.

The book launch will be followed by a Blogmeet attended by the creme de la creme of the literary blogging fraternity, including Skint Writer and Debi Alper. A number of other published writers will be in attendance. So it's a chance to meet your blogging idols in person. Be there or be square, as they used to say.

The other thing that's happening this week, on Friday in fact, is the announcement of the Pundy House Literary Blog of the Year Awards. Nominations are still open, so if you know of a blog you like which isn't listed below, feel free to nominate it.

The list, as you'll quickly discover, is completely idiosyncratic and based solely upon blogs that I actually read, and enjoy, regularly. If I'm missing out on some cracking literary blogs - as I surely am - let me know and I'll give them the once over before the nominations close.

Here are the nominations so far:

1. All-Round Literary Blogs:
a) A-listers: Grumpy Old Bookman, Paperback Writer, Bookninja, POD-dy Mouth.
b) Other great all-rounders: Sand Storm, Writing Passions, Carla Nayland, Deblog.

2. Best Writerly Literary Blog: John Baker.

3. Most Informative Literary Blog: Petrona, Books Inq.

4. Most Controversial Literary Blog: The Publishing Contrarian (no other nominations required in this category - you won't have a chance following Lynne's last two posts).

5. Most Original Literary Blog: An Innocent A-Blog

6. Best by a Published Writer: The Inner Minx, Skint Writer, So you want to be a writer.

7. Best by an (as yet) Unpublished Writer: Shameless Words

8. Best Newcomer: Buddhastic, Confuscious he say

9. Wittiest Literary Blog: Bookfraud, Madame Arcati, Julia Buckley

10 Best Campaigning Literary Blog: Debi Alper (Trafficking of human beings)

11 Best Literary Blog located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland: none reached required standard.

I'm not going to name the Commenter of the year at this stage. However, I do have someone in mind and it appears that his particular talent involves manipulating photographic images. Hm. My quandary revolves around whether or not bad behaviour should be rewarded. I'm still thinking about it and may yet change my mind.

The best way to contact me if you want to see the list revised is to drop me an e-mail. When I get time I'll add a few more names to the list, so if you don't see yourself on it yet - you're stuck on tenterhooks for a few more days.

29 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:26 pm

    Bad behaviour? Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh my.

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  2. Pundy,
    I am humbled and honoured to be included on the list. And I didn't even have to bribe anyone with long lunches!

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  3. Anonymous6:40 pm

    Oh lovely! I'm on a list...of sorts. I have never made a list before, except when ordering a pasty sized takeaway meal. I am honoured Mr Pund.

    Don't punish the American. I made him do it. I blackmailed him with bad poetry!

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  4. Anonymous7:07 pm

    OH MY GOD!

    I go away for a few days, believing all is peace and harmony....and when I return....I find a fascist dictatorship has taken over the blogging world in a (hopefully) bloodless coup!

    On the other hand...I'm on one of the lists...so I think it's a wonderful idea...........thought up by a wonderful human being......

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  5. Anonymous8:01 pm

    But this is great! Shortlisted! Nominated!Thanks, Pundy!

    You know, I normally disapprove of excessive exclamation mark use.

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  6. Anonymous11:19 pm

    I don't know what to do, Bill! I've never been nominated for anything before. I mean, there was that one time when I was 17 that I was nominated to stand watch to make sure the police weren't coming, but I don't think that counts.

    No, it's decided: A blog award nomination is surely better than watching out for the po-po so I (and my friends) are not arrested for supergluing pennies to the supermarket's floors and rearranging their shelves.

    I'm going to try to act just like Renee Zellweger did when she got nominated for an Oscar. I don't really remember how Renee Zellweger acted, but I bet it was with great dignity and poise. (Here, I will NOT admit that I am jumping up and down at being nominated. Because that lacks dignity.) (And poise.)

    Can I still do my clogging routine?
    It won't be the same if I can't do my clogging routine.

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  7. Anonymous3:13 am

    Darn! When I skimmed through your blog and saw that "bad behavior" might be rewarded, I thought it MIGHT be me. Then I read the fateful words "manipulating photograpic images." Woe, woe, woe is me. I've done a lot of horrible things, but not that. So I guess, along with my nomination to America's 50 Most Beautiful People, my nomination got lost in the mail -- again.

    Who are these other nominees?! I know them not. However, bowing to the inevitable, I nominate View From the Pundy House as best Scottish Blog, or whatever you call it. And I know, I know it's not a democracy -- it's a dictatorship, but golly, you can't blame a guy for trying. If I invoked the holy name of the Old Catholic Church, would that count?

    VFTPH is the only Scottish blog I know of, other than Hal Duncan's, and I don't even know if he's Scottish. But he's 'from over there somewhere', I'm sure of it. Part of that Kingdom-Commonwealth-Conglomeration thing. He writes good sci-fi, I do know that.

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  8. Amy, I think being nominated as a lookout does count. Also, the reason you were nominated was because of your clogging (I thought it was a misprint for blogging).

    daddy, I think you have been hard done by. If it was up to me there would be a special award just for you.

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  9. Anonymous10:08 pm

    For being on this list I'd like to thank Bob Dylan, Jesus, and my mum without all of whom it would have been impossible.
    I need a tissue. . .

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  10. Anonymous10:25 pm

    Hello, As you have put me up against Books, Inq. for a literary blog, I'd like to withdraw.
    Petrona isn't a literary blog -- the only books I review on it are crime fiction novels which aren't literature.
    Petrona is really a "musing round the blogosphere and internet" kind of blog.
    Books, Inq. however is an excellent and truly literary blog and certainly meets the definition. I don't feel it is appropriate for Petrona to be up against it, as they are so different.

    best wishes
    Maxine.

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  11. Anonymous10:47 pm

    Since Petrona is being so noble, I'll take her place. I mean, someone HAS to do it, right? So, being a martyr at heart, and the one who most needs absolution, I'll volunteer. But I wanna' win! Okay?

    By the way, just what do I win, if I win (I mean, there's no doubt I will win, it's just a polite way of phrasing the question)?

    Baker sure is humble, isn't he? He's a saint-in-the-making, that's for sure. Which means he'll probably win.

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  12. Anonymous12:10 am

    I need another tissue . . .

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  13. Anonymous12:42 am

    Oh for goodness sake!

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  14. Anonymous2:01 am

    Oooh, yes, daddy! (and can I just say; I feel very dirty just for typing the previous sentence, yet quite risky as well). I'm with you: Mr. Pundy House, what do we win (if we win)?

    I hope it's something big, like a trip to Scotland. And a 2 week stay in some 5 star Scottish resort. And an audience with the Queen (and then a date with her hottie prince grandson Wills). I'd like a diamond tiara, as well. And a sceptor. And a chateau in the south of France. No, scratch that. French people scare me...a villa in Tuscany.

    Am I being too high maintenance? Get used to it. :)

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  15. Anonymous10:07 am

    Humbled ... distinctly humbled ...

    Pass the tissues, John. (Clean one if poss, please ...)

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  16. Why is everyone in such a good mood today? :)

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  17. Anonymous12:41 pm

    Cos we're all going to London on Saturday, aren't we! Well, all the cool people anyway.

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  18. Anonymous5:33 pm

    Gosh, how exciting! My blog is officially 'witty'.

    ...hope that wasn't a typo!

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  19. So what exactly is the punishment for winning in one of these categories? How come there's no award for best blogging female impersonator? Best dressed literary pundit? Worst punster? Most effective time sump? Just curious. -blue

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  20. Anonymous7:41 pm

    If I win I'll take the chateau in the south of France if Amy doesn't want it; and if I don't win I'll go along with whoever does win and carry their bags. Mind you, I'll resent it, carrying the bags and being put upon like that and being taken advantage of just because I didn't win a fuc, er, sodding competition and then I'll start plotting against them and find someway of killing them so I can take their place.
    Sorry, that's just the kind of guy I am.
    And I don't want to meet the queen or any of her offspring unless it's compulsory.

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  21. Anonymous7:55 pm

    Umm, John, steady there. You do know that errr, Queen Pundy has been outed on my blog, don't you? The former guises of our great and glorious Pund, have been brought to light. It may therefore be better to refute that last statement and grab another tissue.

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  22. Anonymous8:50 pm

    Why do all the men suddenly need tissues?

    Am I missing something here.......

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  23. Normal tissue usage with men is for... um... well, you know! Is that saying something about men or about me...

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  24. Anonymous2:44 am

    Okay, this is becoming undignified. All this bowing, scraping and boot kissing just to win a prize (not yet named) bestowed by the last Scottish Dictator. He's probably sitting at home, sipping 50 year old whiskey, smoking a $100 cigar and laughing at all of us. Ohhh, evil man! The Abomination of Desolation!

    Okay, now, that being said, I'd sure like to win, even though I don't currently have a blog. How about a prize (a scintillating one) for best unblogged Blog. That sounds viable, doesn't it? Good! I'm glad everyone agrees. Finally, I get my own way.

    And if I don't win, I'm gonna' need more than one tissue.

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  25. I am astounded and delighted.
    Thank you.

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  26. Anonymous10:11 am

    Yeah, Bernita, but can you keep it up?

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  27. Anonymous11:29 am

    I say, I say, I say - A bear walks into a bar...

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  28. John, there is no way to tastefully respond to that question...

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  29. Anonymous3:14 am

    wow. i am honored.

    and i didn't even realize you read english over there.

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