Donoghue on Booker Shortlist

Another Irish author, Paul Murray, had been on the long-list for his book "Skippy Dies" but failed to make the cut.

One of the biggest shocks was the failure to make the cut by David Mitchell, for his novel "The Thousand Autumns of Zacob de Zoet".

The English novelist, who is now based in Co Cork, had been touted as a possible winner of the prize but didn't make it onto the shortlist.

Emma O'Donoghue is joined on the shortlist by Peter Carey for "Parrot and Olivier in America", Damon Galgut for "In a Strange Room", Howard Jacobson for "The Finkler Question", Andrea Levy for "The Long Song" and Tom McCarthy for "C".

Donoghue, who now lives in Canada, said he was delighted with her nomination, describing it as the peak of her career.

"I'm flabbergasted to get on to the shortlist. I thought the book might have been too populist," she said. "It's absolutely fantastic, especially since this is a book with a tricky subject - many people are nervous about reading it."

The book was inspired by the Josef Fritl family abuse case in Switzerland, and tells the story of a five year old boy and his mother who live in a locked 11-square-foot room.

When they escape they must learn to deal with the world around them.

Sir Andrew Motion, chairman of the judging panel said the book was not just about being imprisoned, but a larger world outside the room.

"There's a much larger room outside the room - and that room is the world," he said,

"The book did two things - to say something profound and meaningful about confinement and something very interesting about release."

New York residents will have the opportunity to meet Emma Donoghue and hear her read extracts from her Booker-nominated novel "Room" at the end of the month.

The Irish Arts Centre has organised "An Evening with Emma Donoghue" on Tuesday September 28 at 7.30pm in the Donaghy Theater.

The winner of the Booker Prize will be announced on October 12th.

Donoghue is currently second-favorite with many bookies, behind Peter Carey, who has won the Prize twice before.

The winner gets £50,000 ($78,000) and can look forward to a dramatic boost in worldwide sales, as the Booker is one of the best-recognised and most respected literary prizes in the world.