WHITBREAD BOOK AWARDS

Book Awards don't come much more high powered than the Whitbread. Established in 1971, the Awards have a total prize fund of �50,000 and are designed to actively promote the enjoyment of reading. Patrick Neale who runs our local Bookshop was asked to serve as a judge on the panel selecting the BEST FIRST NOVEL OF THE YEAR. Quite an honour! His "official" Whitbread bigraphy reads...
Patrick Neale spent thirteen years in management at Waterstone�s before deciding to join �the cut and thrust of independent bookselling�. He now co-owns The Bookshop in Chipping Norton with his partner, where they live with their three sons. Away from reading, he enjoys playing football, swimming and climbing, and is still interested in existentialism, �however unfashionable it is�. Favourite books: Heart Of Darkness, but he�s also a fan of Raymond Carver, Richard Ford, Philip Roth, John Updike and Beryl Bainbridge.
From a more local perspective...Patrick had a very successful management job with Waterstones - the Booksellers. A couple of years ago he moved to Chippy with his partner Polly having decided to get out of the corporate rat race and find a more fulfilling lifestyle allowing him to spend more time with his young family. Its not at all clear he's succeeded. Everyone quickly spotted his organising talent and easy style. Clients at the Bookshop have been treated to a series of enjoyable special events - talks, signings, competitions and parties - all taking a lot of organisational effort. Patrick has taken over the running of both the Victorian Evening and the Christmas Trees - as well as being a Founding Committee Member of the new Guild of Commerce. Most recently he has been extremely active in the KEEP OUR POOL OPEN CAMPAIGN - joining the protest outing to Witney only last week. The Judging job came on top of all this. Polly must be beginning to wonder whether the country life is really any less frantic after all. Patrick talked about his experience as a judge recently....
"As a judge for the Whitbread first novel this year I was delighted when the winner was announced this week as I could breathe a sigh of relief. I am terrible at keeping secrets. Anyway having run the Bookshop Chipping Norton for 2 years now it was great privilege to be chosen for the judging panel of this prestigious prize. My Fifteen years in the Book trade must mean someone noticed me. The job required me to read 35 novels over the summer last year and then compile a shortlist of my three favourite books. Then in September I read the 6 choices of my colleagues on the judging panel. In late October we met at the Whitbread head office and in sumptuous surroundings chose the shortlist and then the eventual winner of this category. I cannot divulge how the judges voted, but the process was quick if not unanimous. Now all that is left is for My partner Polly Jaff� and I to travel to London on 27th January for the celebration dinner which is televised by BBC 4. It has been incredibly hard work but a most enjoyable experience. I have discovered new authors that I doubt I would ever have come across otherwise. "