Man Booker Prize 2007

[stereoman]

Odds have just been announced as the long-list has been released. The shortlist of six is to be announced on Tuesday 6th September with the winner to be announced on Tuesday 16th October.

1735: William Hill have installed former winner Ian McEwen's book, 'On Chesil Beach', as the 3/1 favourite to win this year's Man Booker Prize, following the announcement of the 12-strong long-list.

"Despite the initial controversy over whether this is a novel or novella I was always confident that it would be long-listed, and I believe it is a worthy favourite and probably one of the best Booker contenders of recent years," said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe, who has been compiling Booker odds for the past quarter of a century.

Hills make Nicola Barker's 'Darkmans' 5/1 second favourite and also offer ; 7/1 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' by Mohsin Hamid; 8/1 Catherine O'Flynn's 'What Was Lost'; 9/1 A N Wilson's 'Winnie & Wolf' ;10/1 Indra Sinha's 'Animal's People'; 10/1 'Consolation' by Michael Redhill; 11/1 Anne Enright's 'The Gathering'; 12/1 Nikita Lalwani's 'Gifted'; 14/1 Edward Docx's 'Self Help; 14/1 'The Gift Of Rain' by Tan Twan Eng; 16/1 'The Welsh Girl' by Peter Ho Davies; 20/1 'Mister Pip' by Lloyd Jones.

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Last year at least one of the judges must have let slip to a few of their betting friends as to who they thought the winner would be/will be as you don't get an avalanche of bets on an outsider on a shortlist of six especially on the eve of the ceremony unless you know who's going to win.

[stereoman]

Ladbrokes the only one (despite the Booker Prize's traditional betting partner being William Hill) to still put up odds for who will win the thing as as well as for the first time, who will be nominated.





The shortlist of six will be announced soon and these are my picks:

* Nicola Barker's 'Darkmans'
* Edward Docx's 'Self Help'
* Anne Enright's 'The Gathering'
* Mohsin Hamid's 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist'
* Lloyd Jones' 'Mister Pip'
* Ian McEwan's -'On Chesil Beach'

I will be surprised if Lloyd Jones doesn't get nominated especially as the above 14/1 quote is now been reduced to 10/1 which suggests there's been an early morning gamble in the last three hours. It certainly has the pedigree and has won the main Commonwealth Writers' Prize. Me? I'm just punting that it'll be on the shortlist.

BET: £50 at 'evens' that Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip is on the shortlist of six (Ladbrokes).

[stereoman]

Hmmm. Just had a look over at William Hill's odds:

Ian McEwan 7/2
Lloyd Jones 5/1
Nicola Barker 6/1
Mohsin Hamid 8/1
Catherine O' Flynn 9/1
A N Wilson 9/1
Michael Redhill 10/1
Indra Sinha 10/1
Anne Enright 11/1
Nikita Lalwani 12/1
Tan Twan Eng 14/1
Edward Docx 14/1
Peter Ho Davies 16/1

I'm tempted to put at least a tenner at 10/1 on Lloyd Jones over at Ladbrokes to win the thing but I've been stung before by 'good things' (Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time did not get nominated back in 2003 despite that year's chairman praising it to high heaven) but for it just to be on the shortlist will do for me.

Hmmm. Ladbrokes seem to have taken a bullish attitude and their odds remain unmoved. I don't feel quite yet but it's a busy ol' week for me.

[stereoman]

Surely the odds movement can't be any of my doing? Laddies can't be scared of a poxy £50 bet can they!?




In all this excitement about the Mercury Music Prize and the various other award ceremonies I'm handicapping, I can't even get the fecking date right (Tuesday 6th September!? What am I on about!? It's bloomin' Thursday that they're announced! ).

[stereoman]

Honestly this isn't any of my meddling...I expect the gamble on Lloyd Jones will be scuppered tomorrow because of it.

Earlier on this afternoon's Bettingzone Market Moves:

1615: Bookmakers William Hill say that one of the biggest Booker Prize gambles ever has propelled an unknown writer into the position of second favourite to win the literary world's top award, on the eve of the unveiling of this year's Man Booker Prize short-list.

With Ian McEwan's 'On Chesil Beach' having been installed as 3/1 favourite when the long-list was announced, William Hill made Lloyd Jones' 'Mister Pip' their 20/1 outsider of the 13 runners but after a surge of support for the New Zealand-based writer, Hills have slashed his odds from 20/1 to 5/1 second favourite.

"We have seen an unprecedented gamble on this virtually unknown writer, whose first novel this is to be published in the UK," said Hills spokesman Graham Sharpe.

"In a quarter of a century of Booker betting I cannot recall as spectacular a gamble before - Jones could even eclipse McEwan as clear favourite when the short-list is announced, and we could be looking at up to a six figure battering if the gamble pays off."

[stereoman]

Well I got five of the six right. The shortlist:

Lloyd Jones - Mister Pip
Ian McEwan - On Chesil Beach
Nicola Barker - Darkmans
Mohsin Hamid - The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Anne Enright - The Gathering
Indra Sinha - Animal's People

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | McEwan named on Booker shortlist

OT: HA-HA!! Bettingzone Market Moves:

1930: Following the Man Booker Prize shortlist announcement, Sky Bet reckon Ian McEwan may be looking at double glory this year.

McEwan's 'On Chesil Beach' has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize just a week after the film adaption of his bestselling novel 'Atonement' has been hotly tipped for an Oscar.

Sky Bet is offering 16/1 for McEwan to win the 2007 Booker Prize and Atonement to win Best Picture Oscar.

Helen Jacob, entertainment manager at Sky Bet said: "This could be an incredible year for Ian McEwan, with Atonement and On Chesil Beach both up for the most prestigious awards in their fields."

[Wayne]

Well done stereoman, you market mover, you.

[stereoman]

Yesterday's Bettingzone Market News:

1000: The biggest gamble in Booker Prize history is set to land a six-figure payout for punters next week.

Their support has forced the odds of unknown New Zealand writer Lloyd Jones' 'Mister Pip' down from 20/1 to 6/4 favourite to beat former hot favourite Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach.

"There has never been a betting plunge like this on the Booker," said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

"Jones was 20/1 outsider of the field at the long-list stage yet when the short-list was announced he had been so heavily backed that he became clear favourite, ahead of former winner Ian McEwan.

"If Jones wins on Tuesday night we will be making a six-figure payout to happy literary punters."

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Hmmm. It wouldn't surprise me if it does win. Me? I've no idea who the winner will be.

[ONEDUNME]

Twisting bastards. Obviously at least one of the judges has let the cat out of the bag. They should be in the dock next to Keiran Fallon.

[stereoman]

After last year's last minute shenanigans on Kiran Desai (and various other times like The Life of Pi scandal) I'm inclined to agree with you.

[stereoman]

Hmmm. Either I haven't kept my eye on the ball (easily done) or it's been a rare year where the punters have been stung and not the bookies. Ladbrokes seem to be happy with the result saying that 90% of the bets they had were on Jones and McEwan.

What I have to say to that is "What about those 10% of bets and did anyone win any money betting on Anne Enright?".

I've been tracking betting on the Booker Prize in the ten years (and have been wrong every fooking year as to who I think the winner will be) and it's been very rare that the winner has led from the front. It's almost as though the jury does not like being told what's supposed to win.

[stereoman]

What in the name of holy hell!? Today's Bettingzone Market News:

1015: Only one bet of £50 was placed on Anne Enright's Man Booker Prize winning novel, The Gathering, making it the least fancied book ever to win the award, revealed bookmakers William Hill.

In a year when 6/4 favourite Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones was the biggest gamble ever seen in the event, Hills said that Enright's book, which started at odds of 20/1, had received virtually no support at all in the betting market.

"One client placed a bet of £50 on the book in August when it was an 11/1 chance, making a profit of £550, but other than that we did not see a single bet for it," said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

"From our point of view, with the two hotly fancied favourites, Mr Pip and Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach being beaten, it was the best ever Booker result."

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I'm stupified if that's the case. Did someone let those sneaky buggers down a blind alley or summit? Crazy stuff.