Best of Young Novelists

This week on the Granta blog, to coincide with the release of Granta's first ever Best of Young of Spanish-Language Novelists, Andrew O’Hagan recalls what it was like to be chosen as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists in 2003.

I remember asking Julian Barnes what it was like being chosen as one of the Granta Best of Young British Novelists in 1983. ‘Just lovely to be included,’ he said. And that is how you feel when the call comes through, just happy to be included in something so encouraging and optimistic. It’s one of the world’s best naming ceremonies, or awards, because it points mainly to potential, and writers live and die by their potential, not just when they’re young, but all the way through the years. But to have a stamp of approval, especially from such a good magazine, put on your potential when young – I was thirty-five – is nothing but good news. There was a slight carnival atmosphere in the room the day we were all being photographed for the Sunday Times.

I already knew a few of them as friends – Zadie Smith, Alan Warner – but I remember trying to look after a couple of people who came into the room seeming dazed. The first of them was Monica Ali. She’s since become a superstar, but she was almost mortified that day, scanning the room, on the brink of some literary life.

Previously on the Granta blog... Javier Montes on the events launch of Best of Young Spanish-Language Novelists, and Patrick Ryan on moderating our translation event in New York.