Countdown To Distinction

Four hours left and the bookies have the Nobel race looking even weirder than yesterday. Check out the top ten:

Bob Dylan 5/1
Haruki Murakami 6/1
Assia Djebar 7/1
Adonis 7/1
Peter Nadas 9/1
Tomas Transtromer 12/1
Les Murray 16/1
Philip Roth 16/1
Nuruddin Farah 16/1
Ko Un 18/1

I've read 5 of them and bought a couple of Dylan records if that counts. Of course the list is a big load of crap seeing as the winner has never been drawn from the betting favourites. So don't go getting your hopes up yet Transtromer (whoever the hell you are)! Anyway, I'll be back in a few hours to register my distress/elation/bemusement and probably take the opportunity to pretend that (a) I suspected it all along, (b) I've been a fan for years, and (c) I just won a lot money on the announcement. That is unless I'm already on the tropical island that I intend to buy with the takings.

PS I'm chucking Obama into the mix. He's written two good books and the Academy like giving him accolades in advance so it's not totally out of the question. He will also be a more deserving winner than Elfriede Jelinek (no, I won't stop harping on about her).

PPS Could they maybe just give it to Les Murray already, if only to stop the Australian press's annual blab about him being in serious contention? It's getting silly now.