Sara Collins - Booker Prize judge and lawyer turned award-winning author
MAR 6, 202526 MIN
Sara Collins - Booker Prize judge and lawyer turned award-winning author
MAR 6, 202526 MIN
Description
<p>The Booker Prize is the biggest literary award in the world. It can change lives and make careers. But who decides which is the best book? How do you take a collection of subjective opinions and choose a winner? Sara Collins is a prize-winning author, broadcaster, podcaster, former lawyer and, in 2024, was a Booker judge. She takes us inside the process – which starts with reading 156 books! – and reveals her own thoughts on Samantha Harvey’s <em>Orbital</em>, the eventual winner. </p><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p><strong>[02:10] Who decides who wins?</strong></p><p><strong>[06:05] A lawyer’s turn to literature</strong></p><p><strong>[10:30] The science behind judging art</strong></p><p><strong>[14:20] The emotional toll of choosing a winner</strong></p><p><strong>[18:15] Finding the right story</strong></p><p><strong>[22:05] Advice for writers and decision-makers</strong></p><p><strong>[25:00] Closing thoughts: the power of a well-made decision</strong></p><br><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li>There is no scientific process for judging art—subjectivity is inevitable.</li><li>A fair judging process must create an open space for disagreement and discussion.</li><li>Making difficult decisions means feeling the regret, but ultimately moving forward with confidence.</li><li>The best stories are the ones that give you butterflies—you have to love what you write.</li><li>Life is short—choose the path that truly excites and fulfils you.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>References & Mentions:</strong></p><ul><li><em>Confessions of Franny Langton</em> (Winner of the Costa First Novel Award)<a href="https://www.amazon.co.za/Confessions-Frannie-Langton-Novel/dp/0062851802" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.co.za/Confessions-Frannie-Langton-Novel/dp/0062851802</a></li><li>The Booker Prize<a href="https://thebookerprizes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://thebookerprizes.com/</a></li><li><em>Orbital</em> – The 2024 Booker Prize winner<a href="https://www.amazon.co.za/Orbital-Novel-Booker-Prize-Winner/dp/0802161545" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.co.za/Orbital-Novel-Booker-Prize-Winner/dp/0802161545</a></li><li><em>How to Write a Book</em> with Elizabeth Day<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/cd/podcast/introducing-how-to-write-a-book-episode-1-the-idea-part-1/id1407451189?i=1000662933815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://podcasts.apple.com/cd/podcast/introducing-how-to-write-a-book-episode-1-the-idea-part-1/id1407451189?i=1000662933815</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>The Art of Deciding</em> has been featured in<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/31/how-a-spooky-suburban-manor-became-a-genuine-house-of-horrors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Guardian Podcast Newsletter</a>,<a href="https://podnews.net/update/its-a-continent" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Podnews</a>,<a href="https://list.co.uk/news/45942/something-for-the-weekend-griff-mo-gilligan-rose-matafeo-and-more" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The List</a>, and the Podbible newsletter and more. </p><p>Series Producer: Jayne Morgan of Podcart -<a href="https://www.podcart.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.podcart.co.uk/</a></p><p>Bruce Whitfield is an award winning journalist, best-selling author and speaker<a href="https://www.brucewhitfield.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.brucewhitfield.com/</a></p><br><p><br></p><p> </p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
![<p>The Booker Prize is the biggest literary award in the world. It can change lives and make careers. But who decides which is the best book? How do you take a collection of subjective opinions and choose a winner? Sara Collins is a prize-winning author, broadcaster, podcaster, former lawyer and, in 2024, was a Booker judge. She takes us inside the process – which starts with reading 156 books! – and reveals her own thoughts on Samantha Harvey’s <em>Orbital</em>, the eventual winner. </p><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p><strong>[02:10] Who decides who wins?</strong></p><p><strong>[06:05] A lawyer’s turn to literature</strong></p><p><strong>[10:30] The science behind judging art</strong></p><p><strong>[14:20] The emotional toll of choosing a winner</strong></p><p><strong>[18:15] Finding the right story</strong></p><p><strong>[22:05] Advice for writers and decision-makers</strong></p><p><strong>[25:00] Closing thoughts: the power of a well-made decision</strong></p><br><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li>There is no scientific process for judging art—subjectivity is inevitable.</li><li>A fair judging process must create an open space for disagreement and discussion.</li><li>Making difficult decisions means feeling the regret, but ultimately moving forward with confidence.</li><li>The best stories are the ones that give you butterflies—you have to love what you write.</li><li>Life is short—choose the path that truly excites and fulfils you.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>References & Mentions:</strong></p><ul><li><em>Confessions of Franny Langton</em> (Winner of the Costa First Novel Award)<a href="https://www.amazon.co.za/Confessions-Frannie-Langton-Novel/dp/0062851802" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.co.za/Confessions-Frannie-Langton-Novel/dp/0062851802</a></li><li>The Booker Prize<a href="https://thebookerprizes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://thebookerprizes.com/</a></li><li><em>Orbital</em> – The 2024 Booker Prize winner<a href="https://www.amazon.co.za/Orbital-Novel-Booker-Prize-Winner/dp/0802161545" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.amazon.co.za/Orbital-Novel-Booker-Prize-Winner/dp/0802161545</a></li><li><em>How to Write a Book</em> with Elizabeth Day<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/cd/podcast/introducing-how-to-write-a-book-episode-1-the-idea-part-1/id1407451189?i=1000662933815" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://podcasts.apple.com/cd/podcast/introducing-how-to-write-a-book-episode-1-the-idea-part-1/id1407451189?i=1000662933815</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>The Art of Deciding</em> has been featured in<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/oct/31/how-a-spooky-suburban-manor-became-a-genuine-house-of-horrors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The Guardian Podcast Newsletter</a>,<a href="https://podnews.net/update/its-a-continent" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Podnews</a>,<a href="https://list.co.uk/news/45942/something-for-the-weekend-griff-mo-gilligan-rose-matafeo-and-more" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> The List</a>, and the Podbible newsletter and more. </p><p>Series Producer: Jayne Morgan of Podcart -<a href="https://www.podcart.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.podcart.co.uk/</a></p><p>Bruce Whitfield is an award winning journalist, best-selling author and speaker<a href="https://www.brucewhitfield.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://www.brucewhitfield.com/</a></p><br><p><br></p><p> </p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>](https://us-central1-podcastguru-217d6.cloudfunctions.net/gcf_get_image?image_url=https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts221/v4/37/0b/3f/370b3fe1-00fa-e465-8df5-40ac64cb9ea7/mza_3427697069506222404.jpeg/600x600bb.jpg&width=300&height=300&api_key=xqFmUFX5BHLBTA)
