An American university press-dominated shortlist has been unveiled for the 2024 Bookseller's Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. The award was conceived in 1978 by Trevor Bounford and Bruce Robertson, co-founders of publishing solutions firm the Diagram Group, as a way to avoid boredom at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The winning title is chosen by members of the public via an online vote, and a winner announced December 6.
This year's shortlisted titles are:
Killing the Buddha on the Appalachian Trail by John Turner
Boston's Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them by Joseph M. Bagley
The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire by Rick Carey
How to Dungeon Master Parenting by Shelly Mazzanoble
Hell-Bent for Leather: Sex and Sexuality in the Weird Western, edited by Kerry Fine, Michael K. Johnson, Rebecca M. Lush, & Sara L. Spurgeon
Speculum: Examining the Women's Health Movement by Judith Houck
There is no prize for the winning author or publisher, but traditionally a "passable bottle of claret" is given to the nominator of the winning entry.