Despite my weakness for testosterone-soaked writing, I'm not a huge football fan (that's soccer to you, septic tanks*). So the European Writers' Cup wasn't really on my radar. But it is now.
It sounds more like fantasy football of a slightly twisted kind: Patrick Neate versus Thomas Brussig, Stefano Sardo versus Robert Menasse, Peter Zilahy versus Tommy Olofsson. But no, it's the real deal - eight teams of hot-blooded writers from England, Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and newcomer Turkey are meeting up at the end of April in Unna, Germany, for the Ruhr-Lit Cup 2010.
My favourite thing about it is that the games are flanked by readings by the players - on the subjects of football and luuurve. And to uphold that fine tradition of bad puns in sports writing, they have the excruciating titles of "Literature on the Pitch" and "Literature on the Pull".
All of which confronts me with my personal equivalent to Norman Tebbit's "cricket test" - whether to support England, Germany - or the reigning champions Sweden?
*This is Cockney rhyming slang. I'm reliably informed that despite my faith in humanity, not everyone in the world understands what it means. Sorry about that.
2 comments:
I'd say support the ones who have the sexiest shorts...
Unfortunately, I can't actually go. But I'll try and keep us all updated on who wins - and maybe I can find out who has the sexiest shorts too.
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