FAQs
Want to find out more about the Man Booker Prize? See our most Frequently Asked Questions below.
What are the key dates for the 2010 prize?
The longlist will be announced in July 2010
The shortlist will be announced in September 2010
The winner will be announced on Tuesday 12 October 2010
Who is Man Group plc?
The Man Booker Prize is sponsored by Man Group plc. Man is a world-leading alternative investment management business. With a broad range of funds for institutional and private investors globally, it is known for its performance, innovative product design and investor service. Man manages around $42 billion. The original business was founded in 1783. Today, Man Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100 Index with a market capitalisation of around £4 billion. Man Group is a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the FTSE4Good Index.
For more information please visit: www.mangroupplc.com
What is the Booker Prize Foundation?
The Booker Prize Foundation (BPF) is a registered charity reponsible for its organisation and operation.
The President of the Booker Prize Foundation is former Man Booker Prize administrator, Dr Martyn Goff CBE. Emma Nicholson (Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP) is Vice-President.
The trustees of the Booker Prize Foundation are former Chairman of Booker plc, Jonathan Taylor CBE (Chair); Lord Baker of Dorking CH; playwright and President of the Royal Literary Fund, Ronald Harwood CBE; former Chair of the British Council, Baroness Kennedy QC; writer, Baroness Neuberger DBE; and former Finance Director of Rentokil plc, Christopher Pearce.
Who is eligible for the prize?
Any full-length novel, written by a citizen of the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and published this year, is eligible for the prize. The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation) and must not be self-published.
How much is the prize worth to the winning author?
The Prize is worth £50,000 to the winner. It will be awarded to the author of the best, eligible full-length novel in the opinion of the judges. The Prize may not be divided or withheld.
How are the judges chosen?
First, there is an Advisory Committee, which includes an author, two publishers, an agent, a bookseller, a librarian and the Prize Administrator with the chairman appointed by the Booker Prize Foundation. The judging panel, which changes each year, is selected by the Advisory Committee. A judge is rarely enrolled a second time.
Every effort is made to achieve a balance between the judges of gender, articulacy and role, so that the panel includes a literary critic, an academic, a literary editor, a novelist and a major figure.
What difference does winning the prize make?
Winning the Man Booker Prize is the ultimate accolade for many writers. As 1996 winner Graham Swift commented, "Prizes don't make writers and writers don't write to win prizes, but in the near-glut of literary awards now on offer, the Booker remains special. It's the one which, if we're completely honest, we most covet."
Every year the Man Booker Prize winner is guaranteed a huge increase in sales, firstly in hardback and then in paperback. There is spin-off too in global sales of books, in future publishing contracts and in film and TV rights. Besides the fortune, the winner of the Man Booker Prize can also be sure of fame. The announcement of the winner is covered by television, radio and press worldwide.
What do the winners spend their prize money on?
The question which every journalist asks every Man Booker Prize winner is, "What are you planning to spend your prize money on?" There have been many different answers over the three decades of the prize. A.S.Byatt, winning with Possession in 1990, announced that she now had the money she needed to build her longed-for swimming pool in Provence."
