Awards season is upon us, so dust off those red carpet duds and get ready to roll! Last week we gave you the Edgar nominees, and this week it’s time for the Hammett nominees. Wouldn’t that Thin Man sculpture look so cool on your mantlepiece? Well, to get it you have to write like these shortlisters:
James Lee Burke, Feast Day of Fools: A Novel
Sara Gran, Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead
Michael Ondaatje, The Cat’s Table
Thomas Perry, The Informant
James Sallis, The Killer is Dying: A Novel
The North American Branch of the International Association of Crime Writers will name the HAMMETT PRIZE winner, during the Bloody Words Conference, in Toronto, June 1-3. The winner will receive a bronze trophy designed by sculptor Peter Boiger.
[Hat tip: Mystery Fanfare]
What’s amazing to me is that the only author above that I’ve read is James Lee Burke who I believe to be one of the all-time best, if not the best, writers out there. His writing is so beautiful I find myself re-reading his descriptions just so I can truly take in their beauty. While I would be tempted to vote for him, I haven’t read anything by the others. So to be fair, I’ll read the others and then make a more informed vote, even though for the contest my vote doesn’t count. Still, I’m always interested in good, new authors.