In a tongue-in-cheek sting operation by the Times of London, major publishers recently rejected two Booker-winning manuscripts submitted anew, one by Sir Naipaul. It shows publishers are terrible judges of talent… or does it?
Publishers and agents have rejected two Booker prize-winning novels submitted as works by aspiring authors. One of the books considered unworthy by the publishing industry was by V S Naipaul, one of Britains greatest living writers, who won the Nobel prize for literature…
Typed manuscripts of the opening chapters of Naipauls In a Free State and a second novel, Holiday, by Stanley Middleton, were sent to 20 publishers and agents.
None appears to have recognised them as Booker prizewinners from the 1970s that were lauded as British novel writing at its best. Of the 21 replies, all but one were rejections. [Link]
Naipaul even got the dreaded cold shoulder by form letter:
We … thought it was quite original. In the end though Im afraid we just werent quite enthusiastic enough to be able to offer to take things further. [Link]
Naipaul got in his usually cranky licks against the critics, but in this case he earned it:
To see that something is well written and appetisingly written takes a lot of talent and there is not a great deal of that around. With all the other forms of entertainment today there are very few people around who would understand what a good paragraph is. [Link]
