Reprint of the Year Award 2021 – The Launch

It is the first Saturday of December which means that it is time to launch the Reprint of the Year award. If you have not come across this award before, (as unlike the Oscars it is not televised – and yes the thought of the ROY awards being televised in my sitting room with my cat, does make me laugh), then this is what it is all about…

The number of publishers reprinting vintage mysteries is on the increase, meaning us lucky devotees are getting access to more and more of the books and authors we want to try. When coming up with a list of possible titles, (to help participating bloggers make their tricky nomination choices), I was stunned to realise that I had compiled a list of over 100 titles (and I am sure I probably missed some too!). Think about it – over 100 classic crime reprints in 12 months – that is quite an astonishing figure! Consequently, with so many novels and short story collections on offer, it can be hard to pick out the very best, which is where the Reprint of the Year Awards come in. Before you begin to imagine the swank of the Oscars, with beautiful dresses, smart tuxedos and red carpets, let me bring you back down to earth as to how the humbler Reprint of the Year Awards is going to work…

Like last year the awards will unfold in four stages…

11^th December

Next Saturday me and 11 other bloggers…

Aidan – Mysteries Ahoy

Bev – My Reader’s Block

Brad – Ah Sweet Mystery Blog

Hayley – Desperate Reader

Janet – From First Page to Last

John Norris – Pretty Sinister Blog

John – Countdown John’s Christie Journal

Karen – Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings

Moira – Clothes in Books

Puzzle Doctor – In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel

Rekha – The Book Decoder

… will begin by sharing our first nomination for the award, putting forward our reasons for why you should vote for our nominee. This title has to be a reprint published this year and not a title released for the first time.

I will be posting later, on this day and on the 18^th, as I will be gathering in links to everyone else’s nominations, so you can track them all down more easily.

18^th December

On the following Saturday we will reveal our second choices.

19th December

I will set up a poll for this award, listing the 24 titles my fellow bloggers and I have chosen, as well as 3 readers’ choices (more on that later). At this stage you will then be able to vote for your favoured titles.

30^th December

As the year draws to a close I will reveal the results of the poll, announcing the title which has won the accolade of Reprint of the Year!

Note: Black tie is not mandatory, though if you wish to dress up to read the results post then don’t let me stop you!

If you’ve been reading carefully you will have noticed that I have mentioned that the poll will include 3 texts which are chosen by you guys. So if there is a mystery reprint which has been released this year, which you’ve loved put it in the comments section below this post. If someone has already mentioned a title you love, then please do still second it or repeat it, as I will be selecting the 3 readers choices using a random name generator. Yet if a title has more than one recommendation, (from different people of course), then they will get extra entries added to the generator.

Important: When adding a nomination in the comments below, it would be really helpful if you could, in brackets, include the name of the publisher who reprinted them. If you’re at all unsure about whether a title is eligible feel free to check.

Any questions or queries let me know and of course may the best book win!