Further to my earlier post about the Booker shortlist's lack of readers (thanks to the non-selection of popular authors on the longlist such as Salman Rushdie) Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies (John Murray) has had 9,646 lifetime sales to date —27.5% of the six shortlistees' combined sales, according to the Bookseller blog. The Bookseller notes that "Linda Grant's The Clothes on Their Backs (Virago) proved the most popular purchase through the market last week with a sale of 1,008 copies, more than double the amount of its nearest rival, Philip Hensher's The Northern Clemency (Fourth Estate), with a sale of 519 copies. Combined sales of all six shortlisted titles through the market to date total 35,096—some 90,096 copies less than Katie Price's latest work of fiction, Angel Uncovered (Century)." The prizewinner is announced tonight.
Someone who has read most of the shortlist is Dovegreyreader scribbles, so if you want a quick summary, see here for a post about that (and Cliff Richard). We shall hear the results of the £10 bet in due course.
How strange you're writing about Amitav Ghosh: I was just over on Nigeness praising his "The Hungry Tide." He's a fabulous writer and I do hope he gets the Booker if he's up for it. Yet another novel I will put on MY longlist (long because I'm so busy reading tons of stuff I'm not nearly as interested in but must review). Have you read "Sea of Poppies" Maxine?
Posted by: Susan Balée | 15 October 2008 at 15:16
Hi Susan, no I haven't read it, but clearly must if you recommend it. Pity it did not win.
Posted by: Maxine | 15 October 2008 at 18:09