Two Oxford authors suffered a disappointment yesterday as the shortlist was announced for Britain's main literary awards, the Man Booker Prize.
But the bookies were pleased --William Hill had a run of bets backing Mark Haddon, 40, who lives in Bullingdon Road, east Oxford, making his surprise best-seller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the favourite to win.
Neither Mr Haddon nor north Oxford writer Barbara Trapido appeared on the shortlist.
The six contenders are now former Oxford University student Monica Ali, Margaret Atwood, Damon Galgut, Zo Heller, Clare Morrall, and DBC Pierre. However, the Oxford pair are in good company, with literary heavyweights Martin Amis, Melvyn Bragg and Graham Swift also left off the final list.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 14.
Meanwhile Oxford Brookes University is preparing a celebration to mark the arrival of the Booker Prize Archive.
The collection of books, correspondence, photographs and information on the coveted literary prize will be housed permanently at the University's Headington library.
It will be officially launched on September 18, when Martyn Goff, OBE, administrator of the Booker Prize, receives an honorary degree.
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