
- Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, which deals with the effects of the partition of India during the British colonial period. Won in 1981; UK/India. Incidentally Midnight’s Children was also voted as the ultimate ‘Booker of Bookers’ in 1993 to commemorate the 25th Booker Prize anniversary.
- The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst, which charts the exploits of a young gay man Iiving the high life in London in the 1980s. Won in 2004; UK.
- Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally (which was later renamed Schindler’s List in the US to tie in with the movie), is the real-life novel of World War II hero Oskar Schindler who saved 1,200 Jews from Nazi concentration camps. Won in 1982; Australia.
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the fantasy adventure of the boy who survives 227 days at sea on a tiny lifeboat with only a Bengal tiger, and Richard Parker, for company. In my opinion the book is superior to the film as it covers Pi’s journey in intimate detail, including some of the bizarre ways he struggled to stay alive. Make your own mind up!