The prize judges, chaired by Baroness Lola Young, announced their shortlist of six titles on Wednesday morning. Alongside Auster and Saunders, the 29-year-old British debut novelist Fiona Mozley has secured a place in the final line-up, as did American first timer Emily Fridlund. Waterstones fiction buyer Chris White expressed his surprise at the omission: “We’re all used by now to the Booker judges delivering surprises but the omission of The Underground Railroad from the final six certainly ranks among the biggest shocks I’ve witnessed. I think that, when we look back at 2017, we may see this as the one which got away,” he said. Ladbrokes immediately named American author Saunders the favourite to win the prize at 2/1.

Source: The Guardian September 13, 2017 09:20 UTC