Just discovered that the French edition of ‘Twelve Bar Blues’ has been nominated for a prize called Le Prix De L’Inaperçu which, unless my French mistakes me, means ‘The Unnoticed Prize’. Yep, that must be it as it’s awarded in memory of John Kennedy O’Toole,
author of ‘The Confederacy Of Dunces’(fabulous book), who topped himself after deciding he was a failure as a writer. Don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Is it better to win a prize for being ignored or … well … not to win a prize for being ignored?

I do, however, like Google Translator’s version of the citation which includes the following - ‘Twelve Bar Blues breaststroke so many themes, and with such skill, it is these books that continue to live within us for a long time after it closed, so long as we keep the taste of music, humor, friendship, love, humanity and life. Patrick Neate received for this novel Whitbread Award in 2001. Nonetheless, it took six years to cross the English Channel, while just under two and a half hours to travel from Paris to London. Meanwhile, its author has published two other novels and collections of criticism, particularly on the world of hip-hop. This is also the co-founder evenings Bookslam London, whose content becomes obvious from their names being cut in two by the middle …’ My stupid life.