Favorite Julian Barnes Wins Booker After All

PublishersLunch

Breaking the pattern we so carefully documented earlier on Tuesday, the favorite has won the Booker Prize for just the second time in the past nine years. Julian Barnes, nominated three times before for the award, won on his fourth try for THE SENSE OF AN ENDING. And Knopf,(Jonathan Cape in UK/Aust/NZ) which had moved up the book's publication date from January 2012 to October 5, announced it will go back to press for an additional 40,000 copies, on top of the initial 36,000 first printing. (Among outlets monitored by Nielsen BookScan, Barnes' hardcover edition has approximately 2,500 copies through last Saturday in the US.) Spokesman Paul Bogaards adds that Knopf is "having conversations with accounts about merchandising [Barnes'] backlist, which is certain to see a bounce from the prize."

Barnes' UK publisher Jonathan Cape will go back to press for an additional 125,000 copies (50,000 more than what was originally planned Tuesday evening) with Vintage sales director Tom Drake-Lee telling the Bookseller: "The demand for copies of the book is massive. Booksellers are reporting a huge amount of interest and are increasing their orders with us."

Prize chair Stella Rimington said in the press release the book "has the markings of a classic of English Literature. It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each reading." She added to reporters after the ceremony that "the book, though short, was incredibly concentrated and crammed into this very short space a great deal of information you don't get out of a first reading. It's one of these books, a very readable book, if I may use that word, but readable not only once but twice and even three times." Barnes receives 50,000 pounds as part of the award.

The Man Group also announced it will continue to fund the Booker Prize for another 10 years.