James Tait Black Memorial Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 83 (2001) Winner
Sid Smith
シド・スミス
Shido Sumisu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1949 （Preston, Lancashire）
- Nationality
- United Kingdom
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Preston, Lancashire → Italy → Greece → Islington, north London
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, journalist, labourer, paraglider pilot
- Active Years
- 1984-2024
- Affiliations
- The Times
- Nominations
- Encore Award Nominee 2004 - A House by the River
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Whitbread First Novel Award | Something Like a House | First Novel | Whitbread | winner |
| 2001 | James Tait Black Memorial Prize | Something Like a House | — | University of Edinburgh | winner |
Whitbread First Novel Award
2001
Work:
Something Like a House
Category:
First Novel
Organization:
Whitbread
Result:
winner
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
2001
Work:
Something Like a House
Organization:
University of Edinburgh
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Costa Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 31 (2001) Winner
Works
Major Works
Something Like a House
2001 historical fictionThe tale of a British deserter in China at the time of the Cultural Revolution. Meticulously evoked time and place from research, as the author had never been to China.
ChinaCultural Revolutiondeserterhistorical research
A House by the River
2003 adventure novelAn adventure story set in China.
Chinaadventure
China Dreams
2007 novelA Londoner obsessed with China but has never been there.
Chinaobsession
Bibliography
- Something Like a House
- A House by the River
- China Dreams
- Nisbet and Trafalgar
- Nisbet and Nelson's Eye
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- meticulous evocation of time and placeresearch-based realismgritty details of manual labour
- Recurring Motifs
- Chinaadventure
Legacy
Came to literary prominence late in his 50s, winning major prizes for novels about China despite never visiting. Worked as a sub-editor at The Times and regularly updates his website with short stories, journalism, and poetry.
Quotes
-
the only ticket you need is a library ticket.
Source: British Library case study
Trivia
- Born c. 1949.
- Never visited mainland China, only a one-hour stopover at Hong Kong airport, yet wrote acclaimed novels set there.
- Worked labouring jobs for seven years including dustman, gardener, gravedigger, and construction worker.
- Hitch-hiked 9,000 miles around the US.
- Holds a paraglider pilot's licence.
- Married Chieko Nomura with full Shinto rites at a shrine in southern Japan.