Man Booker Prize

Since our author this week has been on the short list for this award TWICE, I thought that I should let you know what, exactly, it is.

According to the head of the foundation, the Man Booker Prize has had only one criteria to be one.  To be the best novel in the opinion of the judges.  It has been around for 42 years and in those years, the foundation has made it a point to target intellectual books.  They're not interested in popular books or pressured into choosing someone because of politics.  Their job is to pick the book that is the most engaging, interesting and well-written book.

So what does it take to be a judge?  There aren't any set critieria, but generally poets, novelists, actors, and journalists.  They have been all genders and ages.  So, really, it could be anyone with any sort of background.  

The winner of the Man Booker award (of which the most successful was Schindler's List), get 52,500 pounds (50K for being the winner and 2500 for being on the short list.)  Some other winners have been The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, The Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.

Originally, it was called the Booker-McConnell prize, named after the publishing company that funded & sponsored it.

Click here to see a list of the winners and the short list for each year.