Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK

How to win the Man Booker Prize

how to win the man booker
Winners of the Booker prize by gender
Winners of the Booker prize by gender
The data we used to create these charts has been included with this gallery. All data has been cross-checked and verified. However we accept that there can be misrepresentations of biographical data, even in reputable sources, and we will endeavour to correct any errors that are brought to our notice
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Winners of the Booker prize by nationality
Winners of the Booker prize by nationality
60% of all Booker winners have been British. British nationals make up approximately 2.7% of the population of the Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe. Two of the three South African wins were JM Coetzee's. Two of the four Australian wins were by Peter Carey
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Nationality of winners 1969-90 versus 1991-2011
Nationality of winners 1969-90 versus 1991-2011 Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Educational background of Booker winners
Educational background of Booker winners
Seven per cent of UK children are currently educated in private schools. Elsewhere, the numbers in private education are 27% (India), 5.6% (Canada) and 2.8% (South Africa)
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Booker winners by university education
Booker winners by university education Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Make-up of Booker prize judging panel from 1969 to the present day
Make-up of Booker prize judging panel from 1969 to the present day
Judges have been 56% privately-educated, 54% Oxbridge, 85% British and 99% white.
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Judges and authors
Judges and authors
The 12 winning or shortlisted authors who went on to become judges are Penelope Lively, Penelope Fitzgerald, Bernice Rubens and PH Newby (won the prize, then judged), Susan Hill, David Lodge, Tibor Fischer, Nicholas Moseley, Michele Roberts, Ann Schlee, Shena Mackay and Elizabeth Bowen (shortlisted and then judges)
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Age of Booker winners
Age of Booker winners Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Position of a Booker-winning nove in the winner's oeuvre
Position of a Booker-winning nove in the winner's oeuvre
The last two winners, Julian Barnes and Howard Jacobson, both won with their 11th novels. These have been the only two occasions on which authors have won with 11th novels.
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Settings of Booker-winning novels
Settings of Booker-winning novelsMargaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, which won the Booker prize in 2000, was set mostly in the 1940s, but included a story-within-a-story set on the planet Zycron Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Words used by Ben Okri and DBC Pierre in their Booker winners
Words used by Ben Okri and DBC Pierre in their Booker winners
Most common words (the, and, it, is, of, to etc) omitted
Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Percentage increase in sales of Booker winners
Percentage increase in sales of Booker winnersBiggest leaps for winners between 2001-2011 Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Impact of being shortlisted on sales
Impact of being shortlisted on salesAD Miller's Snowdrops used as an example Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Impact of winning Booker on an author's backlist
Impact of winning Booker on an author's backlistHilary Mantel used as an example Photograph: guardian.co.uk
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.