Best of the Booker

Some of the 20th century’s top writers didn’t make the shortlist—announced today—for the Best of the Booker awards, among them Iris Murdoch, William Golding and Kingsley Amis. In the running are Sir Salman Rushdie—headlining as favorite for Midnight’s Children—Pat Barker, Peter Carey, J. M. Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer and J. G. Farrell.

Polling opens today to the public.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Man Booker Prize, the public is being asked to choose the one novel that reflects the best of the Booker winners since the award’s launch in 1969. Readers will be able to vote on the six shortlisted books that will be announced in May but can argue for the shortlist contenders on the Debate section of the site.