British view of success 'hideous'

Miranda Richardson has taken a swipe at Britain’s “hideous” approach to success as the actress turned literary judge announced that Hilary Mantel has been shortlisted for another major book prize.

Mantel, 60, has already scooped the Booker and Costa Book Award for her historical sequel Bring Up The Bodies and has been shortlisted for the Woman’s Prize For Fiction.

She could now become the first author to win all three titles after the novel, part of a planned trilogy on Thomas Cromwell, was shortlisted for the third prize, formerly known as the Orange Prize.

Blackadder star Richardson, who is chair of the judges, said: “I was very keen to keep a balanced approach about Hilary Mantel because I’ve heard what we call the ’tall poppy syndrome’, particularly in Britain, ’you’ve already had too much you can’t have any more. Go away and die now’, people being quite vitriolic in some cases...”

The 55-year-old Oscar-nominated actress said: “I think it’s disgusting quite frankly. Because this competition is about excellence for writing...you cannot argue that... I did feel very strongly about that.

“I hoped she would make it through, that we would be in agreement... there was a risk it could go either way.”

Asked whether she thought ’tall poppy syndrome’ was a particularly British trait, she said: “Yes I do. I think it’s hideous, absolutely hideous. It goes through every profession.... definitely in acting”.

She said: “I don’t think Britain likes success. It’s what I call the prodigal son or daughter where you have to go away to come back and be reclaimed...all that rubbish... I’m not sure where it comes from but it’s dumb. It’s the opposite of what should be.”

Mantel, who sparked a furore when she described the Duchess of Cambridge as a “shop-window mannequin”, has previously said that she was “not going to apologise” for her wins, stating: “I’m not sorry, I’m happy and I shall make it my business to try to write more books that will be worth more prizes”.

The author is up against Zadie Smith for London-set NW, her fourth novel, and US writer Barbara Kingsolver for her eighth novel Flight Behaviour.

Both writers could become the first to win the €35,000 prize twice after Kingsolver won with The Lacuna in 2010 and Smith scooped the gong for On Beauty in 2006.

The other writers shortlisted are British author Kate Atkinson for Life After Life and US authors AM Homes for May We Be Forgiven and Maria Semple for Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

Richardson insisted that there was still a need for a women’s prize, adding: “They have been sidelined in the past.”

Asked whether the late Baroness Thatcher had helped women in all areas of life, she said: “As many people as she did (help) she undermined.”

She added that she was “absolutely terrified” before the longlist meeting “because of the terrifying responsibility of dismissing” so many novels.

But she said that whittling down the shortlist had been “joyous” and that there was more agreement than she had expected.

She said: “It becomes very clear very quickly what deserves to go on....But the process is going to be very tough now...”.

She said that it was “an exceptional year for women’s fiction” with the shortlist representing “six tremendous writers at the top of their game”.

Richardson added that her film work had to take a back-seat during the judging process, saying: “The idea of dashing off set to go and scrabble through another 10 pages is just not my idea of fun.”

The winner of the prize, now in its 18th year, will be announced on June 5 at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

:: The shortlist

Kate Atkinson – Life After Life

A.M Homes – May We Be Forgiven

Barbara Kingsolver – Flight Behaviour

Hilary Mantel – Bring Up The Bodies

Maria Semple – Where’d You Go

Zadie Smith – NW