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Quiz about The Bad Sex Award
Quiz about The Bad Sex Award

The Bad Sex Award Trivia Quiz

Awarded annually by the "Literary Review" for the novel containing the "worst, most redundant or most embarrassing description of the sexual act". Enjoy this not-too-rude celebration of the one literary award that no writer wants to win.

A multiple-choice quiz by stedman. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
stedman
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
108,113
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
1327
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Of which award-winning novel did the Mirror newspaper write "The scene involving a deep-sea diver and a genetically-modified, homosexually-inclined giant squid has to be read to be believed"? The writer was for many years the restaurant correspondent of "The Times", so perhaps he was thinking of some calamari he once ate. Hint


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Question 2 of 10
2. Who in 1998 bad-temperedly refused to turn up and collect his prize? Best-known for his 1993 novel "Birdsong", he won the "Bad Sex Award" for "Charlotte Gray". Hint


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Question 3 of 10
3. There is a tradition that the winner's trophy is handed over by someone known for their familiarity with the subject of sex (good or bad). But which of these has never presented the award? Hint


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Question 4 of 10
4. The 2000 award ceremony was held at the "Naval and Military Club" on London's Piccadilly. Why might this be an appropriate venue? Hint


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Question 5 of 10
5. The following is a passage from "The Horse Whisperer" by Nicholas Evans: "And he felt no shame nor saw any in her, for why should they feel shame at what was not of their making but of some deeper force that stormed not just their bodies but their souls and knew naught of shame nor of any such construct?" Having penned this, did Mr Evans go on to win the award in 1996? Yes or no?


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Question 6 of 10
6. "She is so small and compact, and yet she has all the necessary features. Shall I compare thee to a ... " To what musical item is a character in Sean Thomas' "Kissing England" about to compare his beloved? Hint


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Question 7 of 10
7. Which of Nicholas Royle's novels won the award in 1997? I'm sure it mattered to him a lot. Hint


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Question 8 of 10
8. Which convent-educated writer greeted her 2002 award with the revelation that "The only thing I've ever won before was a copy of the Bible for an essay on religious doctrine, which is rather different from tonight's award"? Hint


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Question 9 of 10
9. Which writer, who was at the time the literary editor of the "Erotic Review" magazine, penned this award-winning passage? "Her hand is moving away from my knee and heading north. Heading unnervingly and with a steely will towards the pole. And, like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Pamela will not easily be discouraged." Hint


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Question 10 of 10
10. And finally, which UK politician, a former British Foreign Secretary, was strongly tipped (for the award) in 1998, but ultimately failed to rise to the occasion? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Of which award-winning novel did the Mirror newspaper write "The scene involving a deep-sea diver and a genetically-modified, homosexually-inclined giant squid has to be read to be believed"? The writer was for many years the restaurant correspondent of "The Times", so perhaps he was thinking of some calamari he once ate.

Answer: "Starcrossed" by A A Gill

 This 1999 winner also included such gems as "the rash-rubbed thighs clamped cheeks, bits of liverish flesh draped across his nose and coarse hair scraped his chin. There seemed to be such a lot of her". On receiving the award, Gill said "I would far, far rather win this than the Booker".
2. Who in 1998 bad-temperedly refused to turn up and collect his prize? Best-known for his 1993 novel "Birdsong", he won the "Bad Sex Award" for "Charlotte Gray".

Answer: Sebastian Faulks

 Most winners, presumably taking the view that there is no such thing as bad publicity, are content to come along and join in the fun. Faulks failed to see the joke, and a presentation was made instead to the runner-up, Alan Titchmarsh.
3. There is a tradition that the winner's trophy is handed over by someone known for their familiarity with the subject of sex (good or bad). But which of these has never presented the award?

Answer: Edwina "now I'm not an MP I don't care" Currie

 Edwina, one-time UK MP for Derbyshire South, was herself shortlisted for her novel "A Parliamentary Affair". At the time, critics wondered where she had done her research. In view of the subsequent revelations in her published Diaries about her relationship with John Major, it is now all rather more obvious.
4. The 2000 award ceremony was held at the "Naval and Military Club" on London's Piccadilly. Why might this be an appropriate venue?

Answer: It is known as the "In and Out Club"

 "Geddit?" as "Private Eye" columnist Glenda Slag would say. The real reason for the nickname is that the entrance and exit gates to the Club have the words "In" and "Out" in large letters on the gateposts.
5. The following is a passage from "The Horse Whisperer" by Nicholas Evans: "And he felt no shame nor saw any in her, for why should they feel shame at what was not of their making but of some deeper force that stormed not just their bodies but their souls and knew naught of shame nor of any such construct?" Having penned this, did Mr Evans go on to win the award in 1996? Yes or no?

Answer: No

Believe it or not, this utter codswallop was pipped at the post by David Huggins for "The Big Kiss", although with passages such as "Liz squealed like wet rubber" Huggins was clearly a worthy winner.
6. "She is so small and compact, and yet she has all the necessary features. Shall I compare thee to a ... " To what musical item is a character in Sean Thomas' "Kissing England" about to compare his beloved?

Answer: Sony Walkman

 This, needless to say, won Thomas the award in 2000. In his acceptance speech, he said "I knew I had a very good chance of winning it. I think mine was by far the most outrageous passage".
7. Which of Nicholas Royle's novels won the award in 1997? I'm sure it mattered to him a lot.

Answer: The Matter of the Heart

 Royle's writing has been described as "mining a fertile seam that runs from structural experiment through to a sly and subtle respect for the tried and tested practices of established literary models". That's as may be, but he is also capable of coming up with "Yasmin grinned and writhed on the bed, arching her back, making a noise somewhere between a beached seal and a police siren".
8. Which convent-educated writer greeted her 2002 award with the revelation that "The only thing I've ever won before was a copy of the Bible for an essay on religious doctrine, which is rather different from tonight's award"?

Answer: Wendy Perriam

 The judges particularly liked "Weirdly, he was clad in pin-stripes at the same time as being naked. Pin-stripes were erotic..." Perriam was in danger of becoming the Beryl Bainbridge of the Bad Sex Award, having been shortlisted twice before, but in her case it was third time lucky.
9. Which writer, who was at the time the literary editor of the "Erotic Review" magazine, penned this award-winning passage? "Her hand is moving away from my knee and heading north. Heading unnervingly and with a steely will towards the pole. And, like Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Pamela will not easily be discouraged."

Answer: Christopher Hart

 From the novel "Rescue Me". Hart beat off stiff competition from the others listed to win in 2001.
10. And finally, which UK politician, a former British Foreign Secretary, was strongly tipped (for the award) in 1998, but ultimately failed to rise to the occasion?

Answer: Douglas Hurd

 Hurd's "The Shape of Ice" describes "the Prime Minister's most private moments", in the word of his publishers "Little, Brown".
Source: Author stedman

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor nerthus before going online.
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Referenced Topics
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