Master Georgie (Winner Of Wh Smith Literary Prize)

Description: A novel about one family's experiences in the Crimean War. When the Battle of Inkerman was over, five survivors were assembled in front of a camera. A sixth figure - Master Georgie - added symmetry to the group. In the distance a young woman circled round and round like a bird above a robbed nest. Author Biography: The late, much-loved novelist Dame Beryl Bainbridge was shortlisted five times for the Booker Prize, but never actually won. Despite many other literary accolades, she was famous for being the ‘Booker Bridesmaid.' In her honour, the Booker Prize Foundation has created a special prize, The Man Booker Best of Beryl, and asks the public to consider which of her five shortlisted novels best deserves to win this special tribute prize. No author has ever been shortlisted as many times for the prize. Her shortlisted books included The Dressmaker (1973); The Bottle Factory Outing (1974); An Awfully Big Adventure (1990); Every Man for Himself (1996) and Master Georgie (1998) all of which are now published in paperback by Abacus. Ion Trewin, Literary Director of the Man Booker Prizes, comments, "Dame Beryl was a very gracious non-winner and no Man Booker dinner was really complete without her. She was the eternal Booker Bridesmaid but, with this special prize created in her honour, we're delighted to be able to finally crown her a Booker Bride by letting the public choose the favourite of her books."