Arguing that awards in the literary community are as important for the sales of a book as the writing itself, James English dives into the controversial topic of prize granting. A prestigious award, whether won or lost, has an enormous impact on the international reputation of a book and its author. He cites a variety of examples, including the initial furor that surrounded the pass given to Toni Morrison`s BELOVED by the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the significance placed on these honors by the dozens of writers and friends who later took out a Times Book Review advertisement lamenting the snub. English criticizes the continued publication of Keri Hulme`s Booker Prize-winning THE BONE PEOPLE, a book rife with errors that is now taught as the benchmark for Maori literature. Also discussed are the well-known authors who eschewed or never achieved award success, but became major literary figures anyway (Sartre turned down the Nobel Prize, while Tolstoy never won). English`s research conveys a strong message about literature`s highest honors: if the prizes are talked about, the books will sell. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.