THE shortlist for the Man Booker Prize has been announced – and that’s the signal for the Toon Man Booker contest to get underway.
Newcastle City Libraries are urging North East readers to vote for the shortlisted novel they think should land the prestigious prize.
The winner of the Toon Man Booker will be announced during a special event at Newcastle City Library on October 18, coinciding with the announcement of the winner of the Man Booker Prize in London.
Now that the shortlist has been announced, the six favoured novels will be widely available in book shops and libraries. On it are established novelists such as Julian Barnes and Carol Birch, but also two first-time novelists, Stephen Kelman and AD (Andrew) Miller.
The six shortlisted novels are:
:: The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (published by Jonathan Cape): “The Sense of an Ending is the story of one man coming to terms with the mutable past.”
:: Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch (Canongate): “1857. Jaffy Brown is running along a street in London’s East End when he comes face to face with an escaped circus animal.”
:: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (Granta Books): “A darkly funny, offbeat western about a reluctant assassin and his murderous brother.”
:: Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (Serpent’s Tail): “In Half Blood Blues, Esi Edugyan weaves the horror of betrayal, the burden of loyalty and the possibility that, if you don’t tell your story, someone else might tell it for you.”
:: Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman (Bloomsbury): “A story of innocence and experience, hope and harsh reality, Pigeon English is a spellbinding portrayal of a boy balancing on the edge of manhood and of the forces around him that try to shape the way he falls.”
:: Snowdrops by AD Miller (Atlantic Books): “A riveting psychological drama that unfolds over the course of one Moscow winter, as a young Englishman’s moral compass is spun by the seductive opportunities revealed to him by a new Russia.”
Deprived of their longlist hot favourite, The Stranger’s Child by Alan Hollinghurst, bookmakers Paddy Power make Barnes the 2-1 favourite to lift the Booker with AD Miller at 3-1.
The winner of the Man Booker Prize will be decided by a panel of judges. The winner of the Toon Man Booker will be decided by you, the readers. Tickets for the event at Newcastle City Library on October 18 can be booked on 0191 277 4100.