Cutting-edge British literary fiction risks being undermined by its growing reliance on a handful of powerful book prizes, a leading literary agent has warned. But the associated costs of entering the biggest awards mean independent publishers willing to take risks on "difficult" works without obvious marketing potential are being shut out of contention.
The warnings, from Jonny Geller of Curtis BrownSee Curtis Brown listing, come as the Costa book of the year judges prepare to announce the shortlist for the £30,000 award. He said: "Literary fiction is under threat in this country due to a combination of factors - reluctance by major houses to take risks; a bottleneck in the distribution chain [and] diverse voices being ignored by a predominantly white, middle-class industry."