The shortlist for the Whitbread Book of the Year Award (which, unlike the more revered Booker, proudly honors what’s popular, not just literary) was announced yesterday, and J K Rowling was noticeably absent. “The judges have thought the almost unthinkable by overlooking J K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter children’s books, while including the former drug addict and ‘gonzo’ journalist Will Self, who has declared: ‘My books are crap.’” – The Telegraph (UK)