The Lit Review |104| Thanks for the Award, #ThanksForTyping
News
Bob Dylan Finally Accepts Award
The strange saga of Bob Dylan’s Nobel win continues. After being a no-show at the banquet on December 10th, it has been confirmed that he received his medal and diploma “during a meeting with members of the Swedish Academy.” Dylan’s win in October has been an ongoing controversy. Initially there were outcries that he was unworthy of the most prestigious prize for Literature, something Dylan himself admitted to wondering in his acceptance speech. (Kurt Vonnegut thought Bob Dylan was the “worst poet alive.”) Dylan caused further outrage by not attending the banquet held in his honour in December. He also has not delivered a Novel lecture, a compulsory condition of the prize if one wishes to receive the €837,000/ $891,000. He has until June 10th to do so.
#ThanksForTyping
This new Twitter hashtag has been gaining much traction online. Created by Guggenheim Fellow and Professor of Literature Bruce Holsinger, the tag aims to highlight women’s undervalued contribution to academia. Holsinger himself however refuses to accept any credit for shining a light on this issue. Linking his followers to this article, which discusses how male genius is never questioned, Holsinger wanted to draw attention to the variety and density of the contribution made by the wives of writers. Many Hundreds of Twitter users have chimed in with their own examples, sharing pictures of acknowledgement pages that reference the women who typed, translated or researched (or, in some cases, all of the above), as “my wife.”
Competition
The deadling for the Guiding Lights competition is next Tuesday, 11th April. The competition is open to all Ireland-based screenwriters, with the winner being mentored for nine months by an industry professional. Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years), Clio Barnard (The Arbor, The Selfish Giant) and Tessa Ross (Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years A Slave) have become mentors for the scheme, with big names such as Danny Boyle, Sam Mendes, Walter Murch and Kenneth Branagh having served in previous years. Click here for more details.
