1.) Last week, the longlist for the Man Booker Prize 2011 was announced. The lucky authors included established writers like Sebastian Barry and Alan Hollinghurst alongside first-time novelists like Stephen Kelman. The presence of independent publishers attracted admiration in the press. For the betting man, current odds have Hollinghurst primed to nab his second Booker, though some have suggested his entry might be a tad too literary. The Omnivore blog has the best selection of reviews for all the 2011 longlisted books.
2.) The original Man Booker prize has spawned many offspring. In addition to the main prize, others to feature at some stage include The Man Booker International Prize (for lifetime achievement), the Cheltenham Booker Prize (choosing a potential winner published in the years before the Booker began), the recent The Man Booker Best of Beryl (a posthumous prize with Master Georgie crowned) and The Lost Man Booker Prize (for the lost year of 1970, won by J.G. Farrell’s Troubles). Alongside these, there was the Booker of Bookers in 1993 and the Best of Booker in 2008, both won by Salman Rushdie‘s Midnight’s Children.
3.) The notion of the ‘Booker bridesmaid’ has entered the literary dictionary. Originally used of Beryl Bainbridge, the term has extended to Martin Amis who has often been conspicuously absent on the shortlists despite critical adoration. The Amis family has form with the prize: Kinglsey Amis won for The Old Devils in 1986. Recently, Julian Barnes has had to live with the title, having appeared three times on the shortlist without ever banking the £50,000 prize. The Sense of an Ending, his new novel, is longlisted this year.
4.) Well-known judges have often been a feature of the prize. This year the Spectator has a good showing, with former editor Matthew d’Ancona and regular blogger Susan Hill (who has a supremely entertaining piece on the first judges meeting here) joining Gaby Wood, Chris Mullin and chair Stella Rimington on the panel. Previous chairs include Michael Portillo in 2008, John Carey in 2003 and, further back, the likes of Philip Larkin in 1977 and Cyril Connolly in 1972.
5.) The PR potential for the Man Booker winner is huge. Recent winners have seen their sales spiral. As Hilary Mantel, the 2009 winner, put it: ‘…the prize has helped me find publishers in 30 countries. It has made my sales soar and hugely boosted my royalties. In doing these things it has cut me free. For the next few years at least, I can write what I like, just as I could before I was ever in print.’ Or, as 2010 winner Howard Jacobson jokingly told the Guardian the night after his win: ‘I’ve been discovered.’
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