The finalists for the 2008 Man Booker Prize have been announced. The six contenders are

• Aravind Adiga–The White Tiger
• Sebastian Barry–The Secret Scripture
• Amitav Ghosh–Sea of Poppies
• Linda Grant–The Clothes on Their Backs
• Philip Hensher–The Northern Clemency
• Steve Toltz–A Fraction of the Whole

What’s most unusual about this year’s shortlist is who’s not on it. Salman Rushdie’s longlisted book Enchantress of Florence and John Berger’s From A to X didn’t make the cut; both are previous winners of the Booker. The finalists this year are largely first-timers. It’s anyone’s game.–David E