O’Neill is Bookies’ Favourite

Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

William Hill publish the odds for this year’s longlist

30 July 2008


Following the announcement of this year's Man Booker Dozen, bookmakers William Hill have opened the betting and made Joseph O'Neill's Netherland their 3/1 favourite.  Salman Rushdie, whose book Midnight's Children was recently voted Best of the Booker in a public vote, is second with odds of 4/1.

Graham Sharpe, who has spent many years compiling the Booker odds for William Hill, commented:

"Although Salman Rushdie is the man in form having won the Booker of Bookers, that book is now over 20 years old and his recent work has not been winning literary awards. However, Joseph O'Neill's novel Netherland has been creating a real buzz and is also being suggested as the first novel to become a serious contender for the Bookie Prize - the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and for that reason we believe it is a worthy favourite"

The full list is

3/1 Joseph O'Neill - Netherland
4/1 Salman Rushdie - The Enchantress of Florence
6/1 Tom Rob Smith - Child 44
8/1 Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture
8/1 Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs
10/1 Mohammed Hanif - A Case of Exploding Mangoes
10/1 Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies
14/1 Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger
14/1 Michelle de Kretser - The Lost Dog
16/1 John Berger - From A to X
16/1 Steve Toltz - A Fraction of the Whole
20/1 Gaynor Arnold - Girl in a Blue Dress

*The above odds were given by William Hill immediately after the longlist announcement. For up to date odds on the Man Booker Prize please visit the William Hill website.

For full details about this year's longlist read the Prizes section.

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