British author Howard Jacobson wins Booker Prize for The Finkler Question

BRITISH author Howard Jacobson won the prestigious Booker Prize for literature today, for his work The Finkler Question.

BRITISH author Howard Jacobson won the prestigious Booker Prize for literature today, beating the favourite Tom McCarthy.

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

His triumph comes after previous disappointments - he had twice before been long-listed 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 check for £50,000 ($77,000) and all but guarantees an upsurge in book sales.