THE shortlist for an inaugural literature prize was announced at tonight’s (Wednesday) Durham Book Festival launch.
The works competing for the Gordon Burn Prize are: How I Killed Margaret Thatcher by Anthony Cartwright, The Footballer Who Could Fly by Duncan Hamilton, People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry, Pig Iron by Benjamin Myers and Myra, Beyond Saddleworth by Jean Rafferty.
The prize was set up in honour of Gordon Burn, an award-winning novelist who was born in Newcastle. He died of cancer in 2009, aged 61.
The judges are novelist David Peace, journalist Deborah Orr and broadcaster Mark Lawson.
The winner will be announced on October 19 at Durham Town Hall. The winning author will get £5,000 and a writing retreat of up to three months at Mr Burn’s Northumberland cottage.
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