Close But No Booker

Wellington author Lloyd Jones has missed out on the Man Booker prize, despite his novel Mister Pip being the bookies’ favourite to win. The award went to Irish author Anne Enright for The Gathering. “I’m a little bit disappointed but I’m not crushed,” said Jones after the announcement. Making the shortlist for the prestigious award has had a profound effect on sales of Mister Pip around the world. Prior to the short-listing, the book had been sold into 14 countries; it has now been sold into 27. According to Jones’s publisher, Penguin Books NZ, Mister Pip is by far the biggest selling novel in New Zealand for some time. “While missing out on the Booker is disappointing, making it to the shortlist was a  fantastic achievement in itself,” said Creative NZ chief executive Stephen Wainwright in the NZ Herald. “Lloyd keeps producing fresh and original writing. He hasn’t been afraid to take risks and it is great that he is now receiving international recognition for his work.”