Booker prize longlist promises to 'entertain and provoke'

Martin Amis may be getting heartily sick of people mentioning he's never won the Man Booker. But the wait goes on, after his novel The Pregnant Widow – along with books from Salman Rushdie and Ian McEwan – today became the most surprising omission from this year's longlist.

Amis, McEwan's Solar and Rushdie's not yet published Luka and the Fire of Life all failed to make it onto a 13-strong list comprising eight men and five women. This year's judging panel is chaired by the former poet laureate Andrew Motion.

The only former winner listed is Australian Peter Carey, one of two novelists to have won the prize twice, who was immediately installed as 3-1 favourite by Ladbrokes to win for his novel Parrot and Olivier in America. If he emerges victorious, Carey will make history by becoming the first three-time winner.

Motion said the discussions had been "amiable and clever", and that the judges had tried to put aside literary reputations and judge the novels on their individual merits. Motion is aware that eyebrows might be raised at the omissions, though. "It's slightly invidious to talk about the books that aren't there," he said.

Full report here Guardian