Rushdie Pipped For Booker Favouritism By O' Neill's Netherland

RUSHDIE PIPPED FOR BOOKER FAVOURITISM BY O'NEILL'S NETHERLAND

Following the announcement of the Long List for the 2008 Man Booker Prize, bookmakers William Hill have opened the betting and make Joseph O'Neill's 'Netherland' their 3/1 favourite followed by:

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 Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies
10/1 Mohammed Hanif - A Case of Exploding Mangoes
10/1 Philip Hensher - The Northern Clemency
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

"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", said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Further information from Graham Sharpe.....07803 233702.