2018 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title Announced
As an Englishman once said, “And now for something completely different.” The Fortieth Annual Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year has been announced with great revelry and Joy of Waterboiling, by Christina Scheffenacker, has taken the prize! The title itself has even offered up the new meme-like acronym JOW. The winner simmered in shortlist controversy as the entire text of the book is in German; however, The Bookseller clarified the book’s eligibility “as only a book’s title need be in English.” Promoting the Eurocentric feel of the win, the Vienna-based publishers of the hilariously plain cookbook, Asche Verlag, actually wanted the prize. According to The Bookseller, the publishers went into full marketing mode once the shortlist was announced and “launched an impressive Instagram and Facebook drive, urging its many followers to vote.” The full run down of the vote with JOW‘s impressive percentage can be found here.
In case you missed your chance to vote for the other titles, here’s this year’s shortlist:
Are Gay Men More Accurate in Detecting Deceits? by Hoe-Chi Angel Au
Call of Nature: The Secret Life of Dung, by Richard Jones
Equine Dry Needling, by Cornelia Klarholz and Andrea Schachinger
Jesus on Gardening, by David Muskett
Joy of Waterboiling, by Christina Scheffenacker
Why Sell Tacos in Africa? by Paul Oberschneider
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About the Author: Michael Ruzicka
Michael Ruzicka, Office Manager, was raised in suburban Los Angeles, received a BA in Creative Writing/Poetry at UC Santa Cruz, then moved to Birmingham, AL, where he spent five years owning an independent bookstore and earned an MLIS. He has brought his librarian skills to Vanderbilt’s Television News Archive, Battle Ground Academy, The Museum of Contemporary Art-Chicago, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Michael is very excited to be a part of Booklist and call Chicago his home.Subscribe
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