Lamenting the Lost Opportunities of the Lost Booker Prize

Team Meeting Minutes — Discussion of “The Lamentation Series”

Date: Tuesday, 11 November 2025

Location: NOP Meeting Room (“Centre Court”)

Chair: Nick Owen

Minute-taker: Clare Thompson

1. Purpose of Meeting

To review Paul Warren’s new artwork series, “The Lamentation Series,” recently exhibited internally in response to our failure to win the Booker Prize. To explore its creative, thematic and commercial implications for our visual identity.

2. Presentation

Paul Warren (Illustrator) presented “The Lamentation Series (6a): Being So Happy Wot Keeps Together” — a composite image depicting the NOP staff team in stylised, elongated form wearing Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player shirts, set against abstract human movement studies.

Paul described the piece as “an emotional group portrait of denial and devotion” and “a study in team dynamics at the edge of collapse.”

3. Summary of Reactions

Nick Owen (Publisher): Praised the piece for its “vulnerability and cohesion.” Suggested it could anchor next year’s Christmas card, assuming snow is added.

Eleanor Wheeler (Senior Editor): Admired its technical delicacy but requested ‘the possibility of less leg.’ Observed that the work captures ‘the company’s moral exhaustion with unusual accuracy.’

Julian Pilkington‑Sterne (Marketing Executive): Proposed launching a social campaign around it — ‘Lamentation: The Movement.’ Claimed it embodies both failure and bounce‑back energy. Eleanor asked him to stop using the phrase ‘bounce‑back energy.’

Alex Moore (Operations Manager): Expressed concern about ‘copyrighting the sadness.’ Suggested a feasibility study before printing it on mugs.

Clare Thompson (Reception): Noted that the image ‘looks exactly how the office feels on a Friday.’ Suggested a small caption series to accompany the artworks, titled ‘Reception Reflections: The Visual Edition.’

Maja Jović (Intern): Remarked that the figures ‘appear slightly too happy for lamentation,’ later clarifying this was meant as praise.

4. Discussion Points

– Whether The Lamentation Series represents a corporate or personal project.
– Potential for an internal exhibition in the NOP foyer (Paul proposed calling it ‘The Wall of Regret’; Nick countered with ‘Art at Work’).
– Eleanor questioned whether ‘regret’ is marketable; Julian said ‘everything is, if you find the right font.’
– Clare suggested pairing each artwork with a short company haiku.

5. Any Other Business

– Julian proposed a ‘behind‑the‑scenes’ video for social media. Eleanor said, ‘Absolutely not.’
– Paul requested biscuits for future creative presentations. Approved unanimously.
– Clare noted that the kettle finally stopped leaking. Meeting ended in spontaneous applause.

Meeting closed: 12:47 p.m.
Next Meeting: 26 November 2025 — Subject: ‘NOP: Beyond Lamentation