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Jayne Joso in the Running for the 2009-2010 People's Book Prize

Gwynedd-raised Academi Member Jayne Joso is the only Welsh writer to make the finals of the 2009-2010 People's Book Prize. Her novel Soothing Music for Stray Cats was published in 2009 by Alcemi, the English language fiction imprint of Aberystwyth-based Y Lolfa. As one of twelve novels voted into the finals of the Fiction category, Jayne now faces another six weeks of voting by the general public. Anyone can register for free and vote by clicking here, but you only have until the 21 July, 2010 when voting closes and the winner is announced at a ceremony at The Stationers' & Newspaper Makers' Company Stationers Hall, London.

Soothing Music for Stray Cats explores themes of male suicide, Samurai philosophy, male bonding and songwriting through its first person male narrator. Driven by its distinctive colloquial voice, wacky monologues on subjects as diverse as Mike Skinner, Ellen MacArthur and Nelson, its philosophy is upbeat, committed to a world in which strangers still help each other, even though we can seldom intervene when it really matters.

Jayne lived and worked in Japan and China before settling in London. She has published extensively in the field of architecture, which flavours her prose and is apparent in her forthcoming second title with Alcemi entitled Perfect Architect. Jayne has also published for children, and has written several plays which have been performed and televised. To visit her Writers of Wales entry click here.

The People's Book Prize is a national competition aimed at discovering talented authors with no panel of judges except the general public. Titles nominated by publishers are posted on the People's Book Prize website quarterly and can be voted for all year round. The three that receive the highest votes each quarter, in each of the three categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children's Titles) make the finals: a second round of voting which runs from June-July each year. To visit the People's Book Prize website click here.


The image of Jayne above is copyright to W. M.