First-timers seeking Booker glory

by Sanjay Jha | September 10, 2008 at 02:45 am

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Contrary to widely held perception author of the novel The Enchantress of Florence Sir Salman Rushdie has missed the bus for this year's booker nomination. He has already won this award in 1981 for his seminal work Midnight's Children. Again this year his work was awarded as "Booker of Bookers" to mark the award's 40th anniversary. But this year's shortlisted has two first time novelists including an Indian. The first time novelists are Aravind Adiga, the youngest on the list aged 34, and Steve Toltz. First time two Indian authors have been shortlisted. For the first time, extracts of each shortlisted novels will be available to download onto mobiles.

Two first-time novelists have made the 2008 Booker Prize shortlist, while Sir Salman Rushdie, who was widely tipped for the award, failed to make the cut.
Aravind Adiga and Steve Toltz are in the running for the prestigious prize with their maiden novels.
Linda Grant is the only woman to make the list, along with former nominee Philip Hensher, Sebastian Barry and Indian writer Amitav Ghosh.
The winning writer will be handed the £50,000 prize in London on 14 October.
Widely expected
Bookmakers William Hill have installed Barry as the favourite to win, with odds of 2/1.
Michael Portillo, the Booker chair of judges, called the six final works "intensely readable", adding they are "extraordinary examples of imagination and narrative".