{"id":3208,"date":"2010-01-31T21:22:53","date_gmt":"2010-02-01T01:22:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/?p=3208"},"modified":"2016-06-06T17:45:05","modified_gmt":"2016-06-06T21:45:05","slug":"the-lost-man-booker-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mookseandgripes.com\/reviews\/2010\/01\/31\/the-lost-man-booker-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lost Man Booker Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"

I know, I know — sometimes these celebratory Man Booker awards can seem a bit indulgent.\u00a0But I love them.<\/p>\n

I did not know this, but in 1969 and 1970 the Booker Prize was awarded retrospectively. In 1971 it became a prize for the best novel in the year of publication. From the Man Booker webpage:<\/p>\n

At the same time, the date on which the award was given moved from April to November.\u00a0As a result of these changes, there was a whole year’s gap when a wealth of fiction, published in 1970, fell through the net.\u00a0These books were simply never considered for the prize.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, to correct this, forty years later, a longlist of 22 books “which would have been eligible and are still in print and generally available today<\/em>” has been chosen.\u00a0This long (very long) list will be wittled down to six by a three-judge panel: Rachel Cooke, Katie Derham, and Tobias Hill.<\/p>\n

Their shortlist will be announced March.\u00a0Then we, the “international reading public” get to pick the ultimate winner with our votes. This time, Salman Rushdie will not win — I don’t think.<\/p>\n

Here is the list:<\/p>\n