Daniel Mendelsohn and Jennifer Szalai, writing in the Times, have an interesting debate about the value of literary prizes.They agree that the notion of giving an award for a work of art is a bit silly (especially since the valuation will always be subjective), but then Mendelsohn concludes that the process itself is valuable:
One thing is inarguable: that so many civilizations, over so many millenniums, have felt it crucial to award prizes to works of art — which is to say, to show that literature, art, theater and even criticism are prized. Whatever the names on the plaques and medals, the real winner, in the end, is culture itself.
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