Portillo to chair Man Booker 2008

The judging panel 2008

Portillo leads eclectic judging panel for 40th year

18 December 2007

Eclectic panel of judges announced

Organisers of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2008 announced an eclectic panel of judges today (Tuesday 18 December 2007). The 2008 judging panel will be chaired by Michael Portillo, former MP and Cabinet Minister, who has turned to broadcasting and writing since leaving politics.

Portillo will be joined by Alex Clark, literary journalist; Louise Doughty, novelist; James Heneage, founder of Ottakar’s bookshops and Hardeep Singh Kohli, TV and radio broadcaster. See judges page for more details on each of the panel.

2008 is a significant year for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction as it will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. Throughout the year celebrations of four decades of the prestigious literary prize will be taking place around the UK.

Since it began in 1969, the prize has always been seen as the pinnacle of achievement in literary fiction and it always inspires fierce debate and controversy.

Last year’s winner, The Gathering by Anne Enright, was described by the judges as “a powerful, uncomfortable and, at times, angry book. The Gathering is an unflinching look at a grieving family in tough and striking language.” It has since gone on to sell over 196,000 copies in the UK alone, topped the bestseller lists in Ireland and has now been sold to publishers for translation in 31 countries.

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Photograph left to right: James Heneage, Alex Clark, Michael Portillo, Louise Doughty, Hardeep Singh Kohli. Credit: SUSAN GREENHILL

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