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I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel (Rough Trade Books)

Rough Trade Books is a new publishing venture in the mould of the pioneering independent record label. Bringing the same original spirit and radical direction to the world of book publishing...

This new adventure in ‘capitalism� is in the spirit of the pioneering independent record label, trading books and other wares of the same originality and radical direction.

I am definitely a very big fan but it’s already got Observer Debut Novel listing in early 2022, Foyles Book of the Year (and a fabulous black and glitter version) at the end of 2022 and a Dylan Thomas longlisting in early 2023 so I think adds more to the prize than the prize to it.

The publisher entered it so must have thought it did, although this was pre Foyles, but post Observer. It isn’t that the prize has leaped on the book.

An interesting question about whether it’s success ought to be taken into account in a negative way in the judging - ie it’s already had recognition and another book needs it more, versus, as you say, using it to showcase the best of what small presses do as a boost to the prize.

Is that a Foyles special edition like the Waterstones ones? Oddly the publisher own website seems to have a purchase limit of 3 copies for the book.

No it’s an edition made to celebrate it being Book of the Year

They do this every year (eg Assembly last year)

Prefer my purple one although it is oddly shaped!

Have been watching Carry on Films!?!?

Finished this today. Glad it was short as found the narrator and her obsessions quite annoying. The author did raise important issues but hard to give attention to them when the perso raising them is so annoying.

Lamorna Ash: �'I am on a clock and it runs differently for me. I am female. There was never much time and I have wasted so much already.' I'M A FAN is a novel that wastes no time, that burns through its fuel at an incredible rate. But it does so with such precision and intelligence that when you slow to read it again, and again as we have for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, you find infinite supplies of artful, deep thinking in there, which will sustain you, and stay with you, long after the story has burnt up and continued on into the air. Rough Trade should also be acknowledged for the love and dedication they have evidently put into I'M A FAN's design, into getting this excellent novel out into the world.�

Sheena Patel interviewed by Ottessa Moshfegh in BOMB magazine: