With the news last night that the 2011 Man Booker Prize has gone to The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, the U.S. publisher of the title, Knopf, has gone back to press for an additional 40,000 copies, bringing total copies in print to 76,000.
Barnes' book is about Tony Webster, a quiet man living a peaceful life, whose past comes roaring back to meet him following the arrival of a lawyer's letter concerning his childhood friend. Booker judge Gaby Wood said of The Sense of an Ending: "It seems to be the most obvious book on this list. It's a quiet book, but the shock that comes doesn't break stride with the tone of the rest of the book. In purely technical terms it is one of the most masterful things I've ever read."
Chairwoman of the 2011 judges and former MI5 chief Dame Stella Rimington said: "It is a beautifully written book. We thought it was a book that spoke to humankind in the 21st century."
Knopf published the book last week, and a spokesperson said it has ads planned for the New York Times and The New Yorker and will launch a Facebook campaign Wednesday afternoon. The company is also having conversations with accounts about merchandising his backlist. Barnes, 65, has been shortlisted for the Man Booker three times, for Flaubert's Parrot (1984), England, England (1998) and Arthur and George (2005). Leading up to the announcement, The Sense of an Ending was listed as the favorite among bookmakers.
The other finalists on the shortlist were: Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch; The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt; Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan; Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman; Snowdrops by AD Miller.
The judges for this year's award were Rimington, Wood, Matthew d'Ancona, Susan Hill and Chris Mullin.
