Interesting interview with one of the Booker judges, Robert Macfarlane. I agree with lots of what he says, including low quality of Vernon God Little and preference for The Folding Star over The Line of Beauty when it comes to Hollinghurst (though I also agree that surely the right book won this year). This guy comes across as smart, interesting and sympathetic. (God, I'd love to be a Booker judge.... not likely to happen....) However, his favorites do show one troubling pattern. He doesn't think Sarah Hall should have made the short list, and he doesn't mention a single book by a woman on his list of favorites at the end. I really think people are blind to their biases this way, which is why it's so dangerous: women tend to be far more receptive readers of books by men than the other way round.
(Link via The Literary Saloon at the Complete Review, one of my favorite lit blogs.)
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