Readers' Group Prize 2006
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The Penguin & Orange Readers' Group Prize 2006 - The Winners!
The winners of the Penguin & Orange Readers' Group 2006 were The Parish Reading Group from Goadby and Marwood in Leicestershire.
Our congratulations to them on their fantastic success! Here is their winning summary of what makes them special:
"We are a mix of people who live within a 7 mile radius but have little else in common besides a love of books. This means we often have quite different views about books, even about which books to read, but we are all prepared to listen and learn from each others contributions.
The great thing about the group is how it has brought together a mix of people who wouldn't normally be in the same social circle, some of whom live on farms, others in small villages but all are passionate and opinionated about the books we are reading. It continues to surprise us that busy people find time to read some quite hefty novels in a month and come prepared with comments and insights. We have grown into a lively and happy group and I feel that we are settling into a format where we can maximise the discussion about a book and get the most out of it. It is interesting that we can go along feeling either "what a great book" (or the converse) and come away with quite a different view having heard what other group members got out of the book. It can be quite difficult to meet like-minded people in a rural area like this – so the book group is a great way of reaching others with a similar interest."
The Prize
On Tuesday 5th September, the Goadby Marwood Parish Readers' Group visited the Penguin offices. On the day of their London visit, the group of 9 members, left Grantham station bright and early and arrived at Penguin mid-morning. One of their members, Marjorie, had not been to London for 40 years! Firstly, the group attended a Viking Editorial meeting. They had brief chats with Venetia Butterfield, Publishing Director of Viking, and Eleo Gordon, Senior Commissioning Editor also for Viking. After this they went up to the spectacular 10th floor where, after photo opportunities on the balcony overlooking the Thames and Big Ben, they had drinks and lunch with Penguin and Orange staff. They then spent the afternoon having talks from Publicists, Marketing Officers, Cover Designers and a Classics Editor. They finally departed to shop in Covent Garden with heavy goody bags, at 4.30.
The week before they had been visited by Marina Lewycka, author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. Marina loved her visit to rural Leicestershire, especially the pork pie she was given at the end of the evening. She wrote a short article about it for the Guardian; Marina Lewycka on her visit to Goadby and Marwood.
As the Penguin & Orange Readers' Group Prize awarded its fifth laurels, Jenny Hartley reflected on a growing and increasingly adventurous phenomenon in Publishing News, click to read the article.
The Judging Process
It was particularly hard this year to choose a winner from the exceptionally strong shortlist and a special mention should go to the second prize winners the Wivenhoe Bookshop Reading Group from Essex. Our warm thanks also go to everyone involved in the judging process, pictured below.
We can also reveal the winner of the Reading Groups' Favourite Book, as voted for by you! To see which six books were the most read in reading groups across the country, click here.
The judges are from left to right: Hayley Lloyd (Orange Communications), Ruth Wells (Reading Development Co-ordinator South East Reading Development Partnership), Nicci Gerard (Penguin author), Guy Pringle (editor newbooks.mag), Jenny Hartley (author of The Good Reading Group Book Guide), Kate Jones (co-founder of the prize and chairman of judges and now at ICM Books) and Louisa Symington (Penguin Books).
Once again, our thanks to all who entered and who continue to support and enjoy the Penguin Readers' Group Network.
- Previous Prize Winners
- Readers' Group Favourites
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