RNIB is delighted to have worked alongside the Man Booker Prize, and publishers in 2012, for the fourth year running, to produce all six shortlisted novels in accessible formats before the announcement of the winner.
Collaborative approach
The Prize includes a clause in its rules, introduced for the first time in 2009, that publishers of longlisted books are required to provide an electronic file to RNIB. This aids the timely production of the shortlist in braille, giant print and as an RNIB talking book, enabling blind and partially sighted people to enjoy the books that everyone is talking about.
The Man Booker Prize was the first book prize to introduce a clause like this. They have shown a fantastic commitment to blind and partially sighted people's right to read.
Information on this process is available in our frequently asked questions document.
Accessible versions
RNIB versions
Congratulations to Hilary Mantel, winner of the Man Booker Prize 2012, and to all the authors and publishers of the books on the shortlist.
RNIB was able to produce all six shortlisted novels for 2012 in braille, giant print and as an RNIB talking book, before the announcement of the winner.
This is thanks to the generosity of The Booker Prize Foundation, as well as the positive participation of the publishers.
The shortlisted books were:
-
Bringing up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate)
-
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon Books)
-
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy (And Other Stories/Faber & Faber)
-
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore (Salt)
-
Umbrella by Will Self (Bloomsbury)
-
Narcopolis by Jeet Thayil (Faber & Faber)
For more about the Man Booker prize visit: www.themanbookerprize.com
Commercial versions
We are delighted with the winning book and indeed all six shortlisted books are available commercially as eBooks with text to speech enabled, with the potential to be read in a large font, with a synthetic voice or electronic braille display. They are also available commercially as unabridged audiobooks.
This is an exciting development that is widening choice for readers who find it difficult to read using standard print books.
Find out more about reading using eBooks.
More information
For more information on RNIB's work with Man Booker contact publisheradvice@rnib.org.uk