In a year filled with baffling decisions made by various governing bodies, the editors over at The Literary Review have decided to lead by example and cancel 2020’s Bad Sex in Fiction Award. The award, given annually to the worst sex writing in literary fiction, was established in 1993 by critic Rhoda Koenig and editor Auberon Waugh. This is the first time in over a decade that the award has been canceled, sparing us all from the year’s worst and horniest writing. “The judges felt that the public had been subjected to too many bad things this year to justify exposing it to bad sex as well,” The Literary Review explained in a statement. “They warned, however, that the cancellation of the 2020 awards should not be taken as a licence to write bad sex.” The statement further elaborated that next year’s award is still on, as “the judges anticipate a rash of entries,” with lockdown regulations “giving rise to all manner of novel sexual practices.” Past winners of the Bad Sex Award include Didier Decoin, John Harvey, James Frey, and, of course, Morrissey.
