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As covered by the Guardian, and CBC Radio Canada, but not the English side of CBC.
The annual Prix littéraire des collégiens has been cancelled following protests by the Quebec authors who were in the running for a $5000 prize. Authors were concerned that the prize was now being sponsored by Amazon. In a statement they said:
“Our great unease comes from the dangerous competition this giant has with Quebec bookstores. Need we remind you of the precariousness of the book trade and literary publishing? Need we mention the inhumane methods of this online giant, which constitute a danger for small traders and culture at large?” they wrote.
“Could the [award] do without the money from Amazon? Find sponsors more in line with the values it stands for?” they asked. “Unfortunately, we believe that by uniting with Amazon, the prize is failing in its principal mission, which is to ‘promote Québécois literature today’ … We believe that the defence of Québécois literature and the promotion of a multinational that harms bookstores … cannot go together.”
Award organizers are now working to find alternate means of supporting the award.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by choose another one on Tuesday November 20 2018, @08:19AM
Well how about the very simple route of just giving the award but without the prize money that apparently nobody wants anyway because it comes from Amazon?
What is it that the authors are actually interested in, the prestige of the award or the prize money? If it's the latter then what is wrong with taking the money of a enterprise that values commercial success over Québécois literature and bookstores since you value commercial success over Québécois literature and bookstores, if it's the former then what is wrong with simply giving the award without any prize money?