Man Booker Prize 2009

Those who know me, know that I'm a little bit obsessed by the Man Booker prize. Possibly because there have been so many Irish winners and shortlisters in the past: Banville, Enright, Toibin, Barry, Trevor, Moore and so on. Well there were no Irish writers in this year's shortlist but I am pleased to see that, other than writing and gender, I do have something else in common with Hilary Mantel, this year's winner for her novel 'Wolf Hall'.

Ms Mantel was once an expat spouse, and accompanied her geologist husband on assignments to Botswana and the Middle East in the seventies. I know for a fact though that she didn't spend hours on Facebook, gazing at celebritybabies.com and blogging when she should have been writing fiction. Even if the Internet had been invented then, I bet she wouldn't have been so easily distracted.

Congratulations Hilary Mantel. Am logging off so I can work on my novel - right NOW!