BTW News Briefs

Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2003 Shortlist Taps Two 76 Picks

Monica Ali, Margaret Atwood, Damon Galgut, Zoe Heller, Clare Morrall, and D.B.C. Pierre are the six authors shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2003, the UK's best known literary award. Two of the six books chosen were also Book Sense 76 picks. The shortlist was announced in London on Tuesday, September 16. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 14 October at an awards ceremony in the Great Court of the British Museum, London.

The six shortlisted books were chosen from a longlist of 23 and are: Brick Lane by Monica Ali (Scribner), a September/October 2003 Book Sense 76 pick; Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Doubleday/Nan A. Talese), a July/August 2003 Book Sense 76 pick; The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut (Grove Press); Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller (Holt); Astonishing Splashes of Colour by Clare Morrall (Tindal Street Press); and Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre (Faber & Faber).

Nike Settles Lawsuit for $1.5 Million
As reported by the Associated Press, Nike Inc. agreed to pay $1.5 million to a worker rights group to settle the commercial free speech case that it took to the U.S. Supreme Court. Marc Kasky, a San Francisco labor activist, had sued Nike, accusing it of false advertising for stating the company was protecting labor rights at overseas contract factories that manufacture merchandise for Nike. Nike had argued that such announcements are part of the marketplace of ideas protected by the First Amendment and that it must be allowed to explain itself to customers, potential customers, or anyone else.

The California Supreme Court ruled that Kasky could sue Nike on the false advertising claim, motivating the company to ask for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court. But after hearing oral arguments, the high court refused to tackle the issues and dismissed the case in June, leaving the decision up to California.

Stephen King to Receive National Book Foundation Medal

On September 15, the Board of Directors of the National Book Foundation announced that its 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters would be conferred upon Stephen King, one of the nation's most popular authors. The annual award was created in 1988 by the Foundation's Board of Directors to celebrate an American author who has enriched the literary landscape through a lifetime of service or body of work. Neil Baldwin, executive director of the Foundation, said, "King's writing is securely rooted in the great American tradition that glorifies spirit-of-place and the abiding power of the narrative." Past recipients included Philip Roth, Arthur Miller, and Saul Bellow.

Baldwin Steps Down from National Book Foundation

Neil Baldwin, leader of the National Book Foundation since its inception in the spring of 1989, will leave his post as executive director on December 31, 2003. He submitted his resignation in a letter to Chairman Deborah Wiley and the Foundation Board of Directors in the beginning of September. Baldwin will continue the management of this year's National Book Awards, including the announcement of the 2003 Finalists on October 15th and the Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner on November 19th. No successor has been named.

Seattle Votes Say No to Espresso Tax

On Wednesday, September 17, Seattle voters decided to nix a 10¢ hike on espresso by a count of 2 to 1, as reported by Reuters. Prior to the vote, opponents of the tax, which include Starbucks and the Greater Seattle Chamber of commerce, said it would unfairly single out one product for taxation and burden small businesses. If passed, the tax would have gone to help fund better child daycare for poor families.