Banville Wins Booker Prize

John Banville won the 2005 Man Booker Prize for his novel The Sea. Banville was a bit of a surprise in the competition after bookies set 7-1 odds for the 59 year-old Irish author. The award carries a cash prize of 50,000 pounds and of course a huge spike in sales at the bookstore. Read The Guardian’s take on the award here and also check out the Booker Prize’s official website here.