Six writers have a second shot at literary glory, 40 years after they missed out on Britain's top book prize.
Finalists were announced Thursday for the "lost" Booker Prize. They are Patrick White's "The Vivisector," J.G. Farrell's "Troubles," Mary Renault's "Fire From Heaven," Nina Bawden's "The Birds on the Trees," Shirley Hazzard's "The Bay of Noon" and Muriel Spark's "The Driver's Seat."
The Booker was originally awarded for books published the previous year. But in 1971, it became a prize for the best novel published that year — omitting novels from 1970.
The Lost Man Booker Prize is an attempt to remedy the oversight. Of the finalists, only Hazzard and Bawden are still alive, but all the books are still in print. The winner will be announced May 19.