Oddest Book Title of the Year

A list by Reese Tee.
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Every year, Bookseller magazine announces the winner of its Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. This year, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Diagram Prize, the magazine is also holding public vote for the "Diagram of Diagrams"--the oddest book title ever.

Here are the illustrious winners, as well as the titles currently on the short list for this year's award and some that narrowly missed out on a place in history.

Notes:
1) No awards were given in 1987 and 1991.
2) None of these are madeupical.

UPDATE: This list is now open to all odd book titles, regardless of whether they were nominated for the abovementioned award. There are just too many bizarre book titles out there to let them go without capturing on Wordie/Wordnik. Also included here are titles from AbeBooks' Weird Book Room, seen here. :-)

For more hilarity, see sionnach's excellent "Bizarre Books" list. Prefer magazines? Try VanishedOne's "Peri-odd-icals", if you dare.


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  • over 1 year ago madmouth said
    the old sot
  • over 1 year ago reesetee said
    Thanks for the reminder. I'd been waiting for this year's collection. :-)
  • over 1 year ago vanishedone said
    This year's shortlist is out.

    Edit: there's also some further commentary here.
  • almost 2 years ago reesetee said
    When I worked with rare/antique books, I came across quite a few titles like this. If only I'd written them down.... :-)
  • almost 2 years ago chained_bear said
    HAAAAAA ha ha ha!! :) That's okay, the first sentence is kind of the best anyway.
  • almost 2 years ago reesetee said
    Oh, but I must add it! Although I think it'll probably bork Wordie. Here, I'll try....

    Edit: Well, I managed the first sentence of the title, at least. :-)
  • almost 2 years ago chained_bear said
    Reesetee, I found a humdinger of a book title, but it was published in 1800. I understand if you don't add it to this list, but it deserves a comment at least:

    Some account of an existing correspondence now carrying on between the inhabitants of the moon, and the natives of old England. To which is subjoined, a list of such articles as are immediately wanted for the export trade, by some merchants just arrived from that planet. Interspersed with several useful and valuable hints, particularly adapted to the use of those gentlemen who are fond of speculation. A work strongly recommended to the perusal of the merchants, bankers, manufacturers, wholesale tradesmen, shopkeepers, underwriters, insurance brokers, and ladies of Great Britain.
  • almost 2 years ago reesetee said
    Thanks, O--I added both (although the question mark won't take in What Is the Name of This Book?, of course). Also, thanks Asativum, for your suggestion--sorry I didn't see it before now. :-)
  • almost 2 years ago oroboros said
    This probably isn't a list-maker but I've always admired Raymond Smullyan's What is the Name of this Book?. Oh, and also Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book.
  • about 2 years ago asativum said
    Not sure this qualifies -- it's actually a pretty good read: At the Tomb of the Inflatable Pig: Travels Through Paraguay.
  • about 2 years ago reesetee said
    Added! I opened the list to all odd book titles, not just the ones from the contest. :-)
  • about 2 years ago chained_bear said
    This doesn't belong on your list, but I didn't know where else to put it, and I think it's a great title: When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden (Bill Maher).
  • about 2 years ago reesetee said
    Yes, some are relatively popular books. Scary, isn't it?
  • about 2 years ago pterodactyl said
    Huh. I thought that these would all be pretty esoteric, but I've seen six or seven of them on the shelves at the Barnes & Noble where I work.
  • over 2 years ago reesetee said
    Wow. I may need an entirely new list for that one, since (as far as we know) it isn't in the running for the Bookseller prize.
  • over 2 years ago chained_bear said
    I found this in Newsweek but I think it belongs on this list, not mine:

    "In a new book, "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed by Me," military buff Trevor Paglen...." (The rest doesn't matter.) Newsweek, March 10, 2008
  • over 2 years ago reesetee said
    And somehow they're funnier when they're real, aren't they?
  • over 2 years ago palooka said
    Hilarious list & link! I guess it's not that hard to get a book published after all.
  • over 2 years ago reesetee said
    Agreed. One of my favorites is Cheese Problems Solved.
  • over 2 years ago yarb said
    The short ones are the best. Versailles: the View from Sweden, How to Avoid Huge Ships, and Bombproof your Horse. Genius.