23 May 2008

The Diagram Prize

“… a humorous literary award given each year to the book with the oddest title. Nominees are selected from submissions sent in by librarians, publishers, and booksellers, and the final winner is voted for by the public. The prize is a magnum of champagne and increased publicity for both the book and its author…”

Note the award doesn't imply humorous or meaningless content - just that the title, standing alone, is "odd." Herewith, some examples...

The Joy of Chickens

Last Chance at Love - Terminal Romances

The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling

The Book of Marmalade: Its Antecedents, Its History, and Its Role in the World Today

Versailles: The View From Sweden

How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art

How to Avoid Huge Ships

Reusing Old Graves: A Report on Popular British Attitudes

Butterworths Corporate Manslaughter Service

People Who Don't Know They're Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It

The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification


Full list at Wikipedia; credit to Neatorama for alerting me to this (and where you can read about the Aussie "Ernie Awards," the British "Foot in Mouth Awards," and others...)

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