FORGET the Oscars. There is another award up for grabs that puts the work of Kate Winslet in the shade.

Yes, I’m talking about the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year.

This annual event is held by the Bookseller magazine and was conceived by bored publisher Bruce Robertson during the Frankfurt Book Fair of 1978. He compiled a list of the daftest titles on offer.

Previous winners include The Joy of Chickens; The Theory of Lengthwise Rolling; The Book of Marmalade; Versailles: The View From Sweden; How to Avoid Huge Ships; Highlights in the History of Concrete; If You Want Closure In Your Relationship, Start With Your Legs; and Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers.

Obviously the standard set is incredibly high and this year’s competition is down to a short list of six:

Baboon Metaphysics; Strip and Knit With Style; Curbside Consultation of the Colon; Techniques For Corrosion Monitoring; The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60 milligram Containers of Fromage Frais; and the Large Sieve and Its Applications.

The range of amazing titles takes your breath away, but sadly I can’t see any of them featuring in the Book of the Week slot at W H Smith or Waterstone’s.

Vote now at www.thebookseller.com The winner will be announced on March 27.