The Inheritance Of Loss

Kiran Desai

The Man Booker Prize 2006
Kiran Desai has recently become the first woman since 2000 to win the highly acclaimed £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for The Inheritance of Loss, published by Hamish Hamilton. The Indian-born writer has a strong family tie with the prize as her mother Anita Desai has been shortlisted three times since 1980 but has never won.

Her winning book, The Inheritance of Loss, is a radiant, funny and moving family saga and has been described by reviewers as ‘the best, sweetest, most delightful novel’. Set in the Himalayas. An embittered judge wants a peaceful retirement, but with the arrival of his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, this suddenly becomes difficult.

Hermione Lee, Chair of the judges made the announcement at the awards dinner at the Guildhall in London. “We are delighted to announce that the winner of the Man Booker Prize for 2006 is Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss, a magnificent novel of humane breadth and wisdom, comic tenderness and powerful political acuteness. The winner was chosen, after a long, passionate and generous debate, from a shortlist of five other strong and original voices.”

Over and above her prize of £50,000, Kiran Desai is guaranteed a huge increase in sales and recognition worldwide. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives £2,500 and a designer-bound edition of their book.

For more information about the Man Booker Prize and Kiran Desai logo onto www.manbookerprize.com