The Lost Man Booker Prize was a special edition of the Man Booker Prize awarded by a public vote in 2010 to a novel from 1970 as the books published in 1970 were not eligible for the Man Booker Prize due to a rules alteration; until 1970 the prize was awarded to books published in the previous year, while from 1971 onwards it was awarded to books published the same year as the award. The prize was won by J. G. Farrell for ''

Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

''. Literary agent and archivist Peter Straus has been credited with conceiving the idea of a Man Booker Prize for the missing year after wondering why Robertson Davies's 1970 novel ''

Fifth Business ''Fifth Business'' (1970) is a novel by Canadian writer Robertson Davies. First published by Macmillan of Canada in 1970, it is the first installment of Davies' best-known work, the ''Deptford Trilogy'', and explores the life of the narrator, Dun ...

'' had not been included in the Man Booker Prize shortlist. A longlist of 22 titles was drawn up by organisers. A shortlist of six was selected by

Rachel Cooke Rachel Cooke (born 1969) is a British journalist and writer. Early life Cooke was born in Sheffield, and is the daughter of a university lecturer. She went to school in Jaffa, Israel, until she was 11, before returning to Sheffield, and atten ...

Katie Derham Catherine Beatrice Margaret Derham (born 18 June 1970) is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio. Early life and education Derham was born on 18 June 1970 in Canterbury, Kent to Margaret, a teacher, and John Derham, a chem ...

and Tobias Hill, and revealed in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 25 March 2010 when voting commenced on the Man Booker Prize website. Voting closed on 23 April 2010. The winner was announced on 19 May 2010. Four of the shortlisted authors were dead; only Nina Bawden and

Shirley Hazzard Shirley Hazzard (30 January 1931 – 12 December 2016) was an Australian-American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She was born in Australia and also held U.S. citizenship. Hazzard's 1970 novel '' The Bay of Noon'' was shortlisted ...

were alive to give their reactions to being included. Bawden called it "astonishing actually ... I thought I knew all my books backwards but I couldn't remember what this one was about". Hazzard regretted that her husband, Francis Steegmuller, was no longer alive to witness the occasion. J. G. Farrell won the 1973 Man Booker Prize for ''

The Siege of Krishnapur ''The Siege of Krishnapur'' is a novel by J. G. Farrell, first published in 1973. Inspired by events such as the sieges of Cawnapore (Kanpur) and Lucknow, the book details the siege of a fictional Indian town, Krishnapur, during the Indian Rebe ...

''. Bawden and

Muriel Spark Dame Muriel Sarah Spark (née Camberg; 1 February 1918 – 13 April 2006). was a Scottish novelist, short story writer, poet and essayist. Life Muriel Camberg was born in the Bruntsfield area of Edinburgh, the daughter of Bernard Camberg, an ...

were previously shortlisted. Tobias Hill said Patrick White, noted for requesting that '' The Twyborn Affair'' be removed from the 1979 Man Booker prize shortlist and known for his general disapproval of receiving awards, would be "spinning in his grave" if he had won the Lost Man Booker Prize for '' The Vivisector''. However, White's literary executor, Barbara Mobbs, said he had left behind "no written evidence" that he would disapprove of a posthumous award and that she was "not going to run around saying take him out".

Shortlist

The shortlist as announced on 25 March 2010: * Nina Bawden—'' The Birds on the Trees'' (Virago) * J. G. Farrell—''

'' (Phoenix) *

—'' The Bay of Noon'' (Virago) *

Mary Renault Eileen Mary Challans (4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983), known by her pen name Mary Renault ("She always pronounced it 'Ren-olt', though almost everyone would come to speak of her as if she were a French car." ), was an English writer best ...

—'' Fire from Heaven'' (Arrow) *

—'' The Driver's Seat'' (Penguin) * Patrick White—'' The Vivisector'' (Vintage)

Winner

The prize was won by J. G. Farrell's ''

'', with 38 percent of the public vote. It received more than twice the number of votes for the second-placed entry. The prize came 40 years after the book's publication and 30 years after Farrell's death. The award of the prize was announced by

Antonia Fraser Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, (' Pakenham; born 27 August 1932) is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and p ...

and accepted by Farrell's brother Richard. If ''Troubles'' had won the Man Booker Prize in 1970 Farrell would have been the first author to win it twice, as he won it in 1973 for ''

''. Farrell's literary agent claimed Farrell would have been "thrilled" to have won the prize.

References

External links

The official website of the Man Booker Prize
;Related articles * * {{Booker Prize 1970 in literature 2010 in literature Booker Prize English literary awards 2010 literary awards 2010 awards in the United Kingdom

Shortlist

Winner

See also

References

External links