Annabel Lyon's prize-winning novel The Golden Mean has been nominated for the Literary Review's not-much-coveted annual Bad Sex in Fiction Award.
The B.C. author joins Jonathan Franzen (for Freedom) and Christos Tsiolkas (for The Slap) on the 18th annual shortlist. Also nominated by the London-based literary magazine are:
- Alastair Campbell ( Maya)
- Neel Mukherjee ( A Life Apart)
- Craig Raine ( Heartbreak)
- Rowan Somerville ( The Shape of Her)
- Adam Ross ( Mr Peanut)
"My reaction to seeing the shortlist was amusement, and a sneaky bit of pleasure," Lyon said Wednesday in an e-mail. "Updike's been on that list, and Philip Roth; pretty good bedfellows!"
Lyon's novel has been nominated for plenty of more complimentary awards prior to this, including last year's Writers' Trust Prize, which she won, as well last year's Scotiabank Giller award and the 2009 Governor General's award for English fiction.
The award will be presented to the winner on Nov. 29 at a ceremony at the In & Out Club in London. "I won't be in London on the 29th," Lyon said. "I suppose I'll just have to close my eyes and think of England."
Last year's winner was Jonathan Littel for his controversial World War II novel, The Kindly Ones.