British author Howard Jacobson wins Booker Prize for The Finkler Question

BRITISH author Howard Jacobson has won the prestigious Booker Prize for literature for The Finkler Question, beating the favourite Tom McCarthy.

British author Howard Jacobson with his 2010 Man Booker Prize-winning work The Finkler Question. Picture: AFP

BRITISH author Howard Jacobson has won the prestigious Booker Prize for literature for The Finkler Question, beating the favourite Tom McCarthy.

Jacobson, a London author and columnist, picked up the prize for his work which explores what it means to be Jewish in the modern world.

His triumph comes after previous disappointments -- he had twice before been longlisted for the prize, but had never before made it to the shortlist.

One of the highest-profile awards in English language literature, the annual Booker Prize is awarded for the best work of fiction by an author from the Commonwealth, the Republic of Ireland or Zimbabwe.

Contenders must have been published in the past year and write in English.

The prize comes with a winner's cheque for 50,000 pounds (77,000 dollars, 60,000 euros) and all but guarantees an upsurge in book sales.

AFP