Banville surprised at Booker win
He thought his chances were just a drop in the ocean, but yesterday Irishman John Banville won the Booker Prize for The Sea, and no-one was more surprised than the author himself.
Speaking to RTÉ radio shortly after accepting the award, Mr Banville said the choice of his book had been a “fascinating” one.
“I didn’t expect it to win. I thought it was a little book that would not survive against the great beasts that have been stalking the literary jungle this year. It’s nice to see that it did,” he said.
Banville described the jury, longlist and shortlist as “interesting”. It was his unique observation of life which had clinched him the prize, he said.
“I think life is dark and obsessive. I'd like to think the jury and I hope readers will see that this is a reflection of how things are.”
Mr Banville said The Sea could be described as an “art book”, so it was even more gratifying to see it winning a popular prize.
“In a way, publishers and editors today are the unsung heroes. They are the people who are keeping the flame going.
"We write the kind of books we would have written anyway, but they have to argue the economic version of it,” he said.
When asked what he would do with the €74,000 prize money, Banville took no time to respond. “I’ll spend it,” he said.
