Why Books?
Books. Why are they still a Thing? Now that we can read anything on our computers and our phones, why do we still burden ourselves with heavy, bulky items like books? Why do I routinely make room for a physical book in my carry-on when I get on a plane? Why do I feel the pull of a bookstore like some kind of magnetic spell? Yes, I’m a zealous user of online information, but when I want to sink into another world, to read a tale spun by a novelist, or to dive deep into a subject, it’s a physical book I want to curl up with.
This explains some of the background relating to the Crook’s Corner Book Prize, now in its thirteenth year, awarded for the best debut novel set in the American South.
The idea for it actually blossomed in Paris, where I have been fortunate to spend part of every year for over two decades. I had long been interested in the very common phenomenon of Parisian cafés and restaurants sponsoring prestigious book awards. These awards confer great distinction on the winning books and receive enormous amounts of attention, including TV coverage of the award announcements. What a nifty idea, I thought. Food for the mind as well as the body. And in Paris, the attention paid to restaurants guaranteed attention paid to the books honored by the awards.
I would come back to the States and natter on about this until one day a friend said, “Let’s do it!” Crook’s Corner, the beloved Chapel Hill–Carrboro restaurant, was still in business then. We were delighted when they joined us in creating the prize, quite possibly the first and still the only example in the US of a literary prize linked to a restaurant. Alas, Crook’s succumbed to Covid, but the book prize continues and continues to rejoice in the book-dining link.
Why debut novelists? Well, nobody has more trouble getting published than debut novelists. The $5,000 prize means a lot to an emerging writer. But the prize also highlights the fact that despite all the online competition for our eyes, people still want to read. People still buy physical books even if they can read them on a screen. People still sit down and write books, books that will be published with covers and pages and will take up room in your carry-on. Am I alone in finding this a source of joy? I think not.
These days, any writer with a published book can undoubtedly be read online. But bookstores have not disappeared. Publishers still produce physical books. People with something to say still want to put their thoughts between covers as well as online. The Crook’s Corner Book Prize honors and encourages brand new writers while offering readers the opportunity to discover them.
Perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future, thoughts and ideas and tales will be simply conveyed from mind-to-mind without the need for writing or reading. Until that day, however, let us be thankful for books.
It’s a great idea to sponsor a prize for a debut novel–and linked to a restaurant! That reminds me of the French tradition for publicizing new novelists. I wish you great
success with your prize and look forward to hearing more news about it. I imagine you’ll be receiving several authors competing for the honor of being the first to win.
Good luck!