Man Booker Prize Contenders Revealed

Judges for the Man Booker Prize have revealed their front-runners for the 2010 award, complete with the requisite surprises and snubs. Many decorated literary icons, such as Martin Amis, Ian McEwan, and Salman Rushdie, were shut out of the running for the prize, awarded yearly to the best English-language novelist, though Australian Peter Carey, one of only two people to have won the prize twice, was nominated once again. Although no one has ever scored a Man Booker hat trick, Carey's novel Parrot and Olivier in America immediately became the 3-1 favorite to win. The list of 13 names has no debut novels, and according to judge panel chairman Andrew Motion very few books about sex. The Man Booker Prize is considered one of the world's most prestigious literary prizes, judging entries from the Commonwealth and Ireland. The pared-down shortlist will be announced September 7 and the winner on October 12.