Julian had been shortlisted three times before
Author Julian Barnes has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize for his novel, The Sense of an Ending.
The bookies favourite, Barnes succeeded in winning the £50,000 prize this year, having been shortlisted three times before.
Chair of the Judges and Ex-MI5 boss, Dame Stella Rimington, made the announcement at the awards dinner held at London’s Guildhall last night.
She commented:
“Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending has the markings of a classic of English Literature. It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading.”
The winning novel tells the tale of a seemingly ordinary man who, when revisiting his past in later life, discovers that the memories he holds are less than perfect.
In his acceptance speech, Barnes said:
“I’d like to thank the judges – whom I won’t hear a word against – for their wisdom. And the sponsors for their cheque.”
This year’s other nominees were Carol Birch for Jamrach’s Menagerie; Patrick deWitt with The Sisters Brothers; Esi Edugyan for Half Blood Blues; and debut authors Stephen Kelman with Pigeon English and AD Miller for Snowdrops.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction, first awarded in 1969, promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year.
This year’s shortlist has already been the best-selling in Booker history, with sales of the shortlisted novels up 127 per cent on last year.
