Wednesday, April 22, 2009

The Orwell Prize for Blogging Is Awarded Tonight


This evening, the Orwell Prize is being awarded. You can see the full shortlistings for the book prize HERE and journalism prize HERE. The blog award details are HERE. I thought you might like to cast your eye over the five other blogs (apart from this one) on the shortlist for the blog award.

Alix Mortimer - People's Republic of Mortimer
Nightjack
Andrew Sparrow
Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness
Paul Mason - Idle Scrawl

I've said right from the start that I think Alix Mortimer is the best writer of the six bloggers on the shortlist. Andrew Sparrow provides regular, daily analysis of breaking news. Paul Mason gives incisive views on economics. Nightjack is a police blog which approaches crime with both a sense of perspective and a sense of humour. Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness is a liberal Northern Irish unionist blog, which includes entertaining and brilliantly written musings on a huge range of issues.

I am in very good company. I have a sneaking feeling I know who the judges will go for. And I can assure you I do not expect it to be me. Although I'd naturally be over the moon if it was. Isn't that what everyone shortlisted for an award says?

13 comments:

Scott said...

everyone knows who the award *should* go to....

not on the list though is he?

Jeff said...

Nonsense, you've got it in the bag Iain. Just don't do a Winslet when you take your bow. Lycka till!

Anonymous said...

You may be closer to the prize than you think Iain. Nightjack seems to have stopped blogging on 5 April, so the shortlist is now one light.

(word veri is diedd....)

golden_balls said...

just remember to smile and look very happy for the eventual winner.

although we all know you'll be seething inside and think its a digrace you didn't win.

good luck *not* lol

Dick the Prick said...

Good luck man. You've gotta be in with a good shout.

OT - Polly Twaddle was driveling on about Lloyd George's budget yesterday - pure slash and burn budget. Do these people not get that we're sooo skint our grandkids are skint? Good grief - hope Darling keeps his head.

Hugh said...

You should be disqualified for thinking "Although I'd naturally be over the moon if it was" is a sentence, but I hope you win it.

Anton Howes said...

Nice. Good luck.

Unknown said...

Good luck to all the nominees and may the best Mortimer win:-)

Anonymous said...

I am guessing to mean 3KVoL.

But maybe the judges will have some sympathy for 'Dale as Victim' of labours smears.

But there there .... McP thought so highly of you he wanted to set up a poor mans copy.

Apropo this - What do you or your readers think a McBride Award should be for ??

Rob said...

Good luck Iain, if you do happen to win I think a tip of the hat to Guido would be in order for demonstrating the growing influence of the blogosphere on politics.

Liz said...

Best of luck! It's exhilarating being shortlisted for such things, and it's also very stressful; I was in a similar position for some of my print work in March. I knew I'd been shortlisted for a pretty important award a month before the ceremony, and spent every night of that month having screaming nightmares about...well, basically, about not winning. That, and turning up to the ceremony naked.

I did win in the end (fully clothed), and have a photo of myself being hugged by Penny Smith from GMTV at the ceremony to go with the cheque and award. I wish it had been Kate Garraway. I could have had words.

Pete said...

What Scott said.

Nic Conner said...

Well dune Jack Night of Night Jack!
Bad luck Iain next year. I will still keep reading your blog 2s a day.