This shortlist, we believe, witnesses to the remarkable quality of the current state of fiction. We look forward to the final round.

234

There was sufficient quality for two distinguished lists. The strength of the year's competition can be measured by the fact that three good books by previous Man Booker winners were finally not selected.

203

It did get very tight.

177

The strength of the year's competition can be measured by the fact that three good books by previous Man Booker winners were finally not selected.

152

I find the facilities here great. The teachers I've got to get used to their lingo and they've got to get used to mine. We tend to speak slang and sometimes that causes trouble, but I'm working on it.

143

It is going to be a contest of giants.

113

The selection of a shortlist, the judges felt, was an unusually difficult process this year. There was sufficient quality for two distinguished lists.

87

Technology will be key to economic development. These numbers and these trends are disturbing.

67

For a while it looked as if things were going to be irreconcilable. Getting it down to six was the hard graft.

37