2 first-timers among Booker picks
LONDON (AP) -September 9, 2008 Indian novelist Aravind Adiga was nominated Tuesday for his
debut, "The White Tiger," which tells the story of a man's dreams
of escaping poor village life for success in the big city.
Australia's Steve Toltz, another first-time novelist, writes about
a father-son relationship in a "A Fraction of the Whole."
Ireland's Sebastian Barry, a finalist with "The Secret
Scripture," was previously nominated in 2005 for "A Long Long
Way."
The other three authors in the running are Indian writer Amitav
Ghosh for "Sea of Poppies," English author Linda Grant for "The
Clothes on Their Backs" and England's Philip Hensher for "The
Northern Clemency."
The list lacks the star power of previous Booker finalists.
Among those passed over this year was Salman Rushdie, who was on
the prize's 13-book long-list for the "Enchantress of Florence."
In July, Rushdie was named the greatest-ever winner of the literary
prize for "Midnight's Children," which took the Booker 1981.
Michael Portillo, who chairs the judging panel, said all six
books were "intensely readable."
"These books are in every case both ambitious and
approachable," he said.
The winner, who receives $88,700 and a likely boost in sales,
will be announced Oct. 14. Eligible novels must be written in
English by writers from Britain, Ireland or the Commonwealth of
former British colonies.
The award was founded in 1969 and was long known as the Booker
Prize. It was renamed when the financial services conglomerate Man
Group PLC began sponsoring it five years ago.
