The Best of the Booker

The Best of the Booker is a special prize awarded in commemoration of the Booker Prize's 40th anniversary. Eligible books included the 41^[A] winners of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969.^[1] The six shortlisted titles were announced on May 10, 2008 and were chosen by novelist Victoria Glendinning, broadcaster Mariella Frostrup and Professor of English at University College London John Mullan.^[2] Among the nominees were the only two authors to have won the Booker twice, Peter Carey and J.M. Coetzee, who were nominated for their novels Oscar & Lucinda and Disgrace respectively.^[2]

The winner, as chosen by a public vote, was Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, and was announced on July 10 at the London Literature Festival.^[3] Midnight's Children not only won the 1981 Booker, but also the special 1993 Booker of Bookers prize, which commemorated the award's 25th anniversary.^[1] This represented an unprecedented third Booker victory for Rushdie.

The shortlisted titles were:

• (1973) J.G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
• (1974) Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist
• (1981) Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
• (1988) Peter Carey, Oscar & Lucinda
• (1995) Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
• (1999) J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace

[edit] Notes

• ^A The Booker prize was shared between two authors in 1974 and 1992, thus generating 41 winners in 39 years.

[edit] References