SALMAN RUSHDIE - NEW ONE-OFF AWARD FOR FICTION ANNOUNCED BY BOOKER

NEW ONE-OFF AWARD FOR FICTION ANNOUNCED BY BOOKER

A new one-off award for fiction to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Booker Prize has been announced today.

The 'Best of the Booker' award will honour the best overall novel to have won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction since its inception in April 1969.

Which of the 41 novelists will be handed the prize will be decided by a public vote after a shortlist of six novels has been drawn-up by a panel of judges.

The panel consists of biographer, novelist and critic Victoria Glendinning, (chair); writer and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup; and John Mullan, professor of English at University College London.

"The 'Best of the Booker' is a wonderful opportunity to read, or reread, some of the best literature in English of the past four decades," said Ms Glendinning.

"We are having a very good time revisiting the now-classic novels which won the Booker long ago, as well as the celebrated ones from recent years. All readers will enjoy this, and we look forward to hearing what the voters think."

It is only the second time that a celebratory award has been created.

The first was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1993. This was won by Salman Rushdie for his novel Midnight's Children.

The shortlist for the new prize will be announced in May and public voting will then take place on the Man Booker Prize website - www.themanbookerprize.com.

The winner will be announced at the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre in July, accompanied by a series of events debating and celebrating the prize.