ABSTRACT

Judge for Yourself guides interested and advanced-level readers through the challenge of judging the quality of hyper-contemporary literature. Whether reading the latest bestseller or the book that everyone is recommending, Judge for Yourself guides you through the challenge of the text. Reading the longlist of the 2019 International Dylan Thomas Prize through five chapters, Judge for Yourself introduces readers to current critical debates that inform engagement and the reading experience of hyper-contemporary writing. Topics covered include feminism, postcolonialism, critical race theory, queer theory, class, and book reviews. Each chapter includes introductory questions for the reader, and Judge for Yourself is accompanied by an exploration of book prize culture and the challenge posed by hyper-contemporary literature. Judge for Yourself puts judging firmly in the hands of the reader, and not the academic or professional reviewers.

chapter |24 pages

Introduction

The judgement of Dr J. Evans Pritchard, PhD; or, in praise of bad literature

chapter 1|28 pages

Feminism; or, emasculating the canon

chapter 3|37 pages

Queer theory; or, bending the canon

chapter 4|35 pages

Class; or, dividing the canon

chapter 5|39 pages

Reviews; or, popularising the canon

chapter |5 pages

Conclusion

The end of the hyper-contemporary