Man Booker judges to get e-readers

Judges at this year's Man Booker Prize will no longer have to wade through more than 100 books after the organisers issued them with e-readers.

Last year judges read 138 books before they handed the annual prize for fiction to Howard Jacobson for his novel The Finkler Question.

Writer Susan Hill, who is one of the five members of this year's judging panel, tweeted: "We are to be given Kindles for Booker judging so they won't have to post us tons of real books."

A spokeswoman for the prize said this is the first year publishers have been asked to supply electronic copies of their books as well as hard copies and both will be available to the judges.

The judges will unveil a longlist of around a dozen titles in July, followed by a shortlist in September before the winner is announced in October.

The other members of the judging panel this year are journalist Matthew d'Ancona, former MP Chris Mullin, journalist Gaby Wood and former director-general of MI5 Dame Stella Rimington.

The prize, which was set up in 1969, comes with a £50,000 prize and traditionally boosts sales of the winning book.

- AAP