Once more into the breach, dear friends, with my annual list of novels that might be considered for the Booker Long/Short lists.

Long-time reader of these pages, Wayne Terwilliger from the University of Virginia Bookstore, has recommended the Barry, the Jacobson and the Miller. For which my thanks.

I've decided to include The White Earth by Andrew McGahan on the list this year with no idea of whether it is actually eligible.

The Longlist will be released on August 10th and the winner announced on October 10th.

- August 9, 2005.

• "The Sea", John Banville (June 2005)
• "Arthur & George", Julian Barnes (July 2005)
• "A Long Long Way", Sebastian Barry (Feb 2005)
• "His Coldest Winter", Derek Beaven (Mar 2005)
• "Leaving Home", Anita Brookner (Feb 2005)
• "March", Geraldine Brooks (March 2005)
• "A House of Light", Candida Clark (Jan 2005)
• "Slow Man", J.M. Coetzee (Sept 2005)
• "This Human Season", Louise Dean (May 2005)
• "Grace", Robert Drewe (August 2005)
• "Old Filth", Jane Gardam (Nov 2004)
• "The Secret River", Kate Grenville (July 2005)
• "Desertion", Abdulrazak Gurnah (June 2005)
• "Surrender", Sonya Hartnett (Feb 2005)
• "A Long Way Down", Nick Hornby (May 2005)
• "Never Let Me Go", Kazuo Ishiguro (Mar 2005)
• "All For Love", Dan Jacobson (Feb 2005)
• "Grace and Truth", Jennifer Johnston (Mar 2005)
• "Ghost Story", Toby Litt (Oct 2004)
• "Making It Up", Penelope Lively (July 2005)
• "Saturday", Ian McEwan (Jan 2005)
• "The White Earth", Andrew McGahan (May 2004)
• "Beyond Black", Hilary Mantel (May 2005)
• "The People's Act of Love", James Meek (July 2005)
• "The Optimists", Andrew Miller (March 2005)
• "Heads You Win", Ferdinand Mount (Oct 2004)
• "Rapids", Tim Parks (March 2005)
• "Shalimar the Clown", Salman Rushdie (Sept 2005)
• "On Beauty", Zadie Smith (Sept 2005)
• "Divided Kingdom", Rupert Thomson (April 2005)
• "The Rules of Perspective", Adam Thorpe (May 2005)