What exactly is “a Booker book”? Some might jump to a specific kind of high-minded, serious fiction, while others argue for a broader definition inclusive of more mainstream titles. Over the years, the pendulum has swung between the two and in 2003, DBC Pierre's debut, Vernon God Little, was awarded the prize. In this episode, we take a closer look at the novel and why it was an unexpected winner.

In this episode, Jo and James talk about:

• Their childhood reading inspirations


• A brief – and slightly spoiler-y – summary of Vernon God Little


• The reaction to its 2003 Man Booker Prize win


• The author behind the novel, DBC Pierre


• Whether Vernon God Little stands up to reading 20 years after its release


• Books to read after reading Vernon God Little

Books and authors discussed in this episode:

• Matilda by Roald Dahl


• Rudyard Kipling


• Charles Dickens


• Vladimir Nabokov


• Virginia Woolf


• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


• The ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy by Philip Pullman


• The Moomins books by Tove Jansson


• Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner


• Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller


• Brick Lane by Monica Ali


• Schopenhauer's Telescope by Gerard Donovan


• Life of Pi by Yann Martel


• Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee


• The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood


• True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey


• The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon


• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote


• Us by David Nicholls


• The Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn


• Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi


• Philip Larkin

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

If you've got a problem you'd like some literary help with, email us at contactus@bookerprizefoundation.org using the subject line “The Booker Clinic”.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices