Lulu Blooker Prize

Lulu Blooker Prize is a literary award for "Blooks" (books based on blogs), inaugurated in 2006, to coincide with the 450th anniversary of Gutenberg's invention of moveable type.

It is sponsored by Lulu.com, a print on demand publisher, and the name is a pun on the long-established Man Booker Prize.

An overall prize is awarded, based on the winners of three subsidiary categories: non-fiction, fiction and comics.

The Lulu Blooker Prize is open to any blook — defined as a bound and printed book based on either a blog or website—that has been published to date (i.e., by the entry deadline). The term "based on" is here defined as having content that was developed in a significant way from material originally presented on a blog or website. This can include the themes, ideas, characters or outline of the material eventually published as a printed book.

2006

The first competition saw 89 entries from over a dozen countries. A panel of three judges decided the winners: Cory Doctorow, Chair of Judges; Paul Jones; and Robin "Roblimo" Miller.

Winners

* "Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen" by Julie Powell (main prize, non-fiction, [http://blogs.salon.com/001399 source blog] )
* "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" by Cherie Priest (fiction, [http://wicked-wish.livejournal.com source blog] )
* "Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection" by Zach Miller (comics, self-published through Lulu.com)

Runners up

* "Biodiesel Power" by Lyle Estill (runner up, non-fiction, see Biodiesel, [http://energy.biofuels.coop/ source blog] )
* "Hackoff.com: An Historic Murder Mystery Set in the Internet Bubble and Rubble" by Tom Evslin (runner up, fiction, [http://www.hackoff.com/ source blog] )
* "Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition" by Ryan North (runner up, comics, [http://www.qwantz.com/ source blog] )

2007

The 2007 competition had 110 entries from 15 countries. The number of judges was increased to five: Paul Jones (chair), Arianna Huffington, Julie Powell (2006 overall winner), Rohit Gupta, and Nick Cohen.

Winners

* "My War: Killing Time In Iraq" by Colby Buzzell (Overall Winner and Non-Fiction Winner)
* "The Doorbells of Florence" by Andrew Losowsky (Fiction Winner)
* "Mom's Cancer" by Brian Fies (Comics Winner)

Runners Up

* "My Secret: A PostSecret Book" by Frank Warren (Non-Fiction)
* "Monster Island: A Zombie Novel" by David Wellington (Fiction)

External links

* [http://www.lulublookerprize.com/ Lulu Blooker Prize website]
* [http://lulublookerprize.typepad.com/ Lulu Blooker Prize blog]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4865540.stm BBC News - "US cook wins blogging book prize"]
* [http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1745535,00.html Guardian article]