I don't give a damn about "literary awards", arty-farty accolades for modern so-called "art" and all the rest.   I recorded the Beethoven 9th on DVD from the first night of the Proms as I wasn't able to watch it at the time. I read the Guardian review of it before I got round to watching it tonight. She must have been at a different concert to the one I watched. I'll make me own mind up thank you and won't be guided by some "literary prize" awarded or some "critic's" say-so. Salman Rushdie is of no interest to me or (at a guess) 99.5% of the population. I'm fed up of him and his lucky ilk getting knighted all the time. I'd like to see a lot more MBEs awarded to genuine people who've made a genuine effort in life above the call of duty and made a real difference in their communities. I can show you a woman in Cornwall who's done wonders for getting kids to play music in and out of school and damn near worn herself out in the process and she's been awarded bugger-all. So.