Roddy Doyle 1993

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

Doyle showed us the world through the eyes of 10 year old Paddy Clarke as his parents separate. Doyle didn't make any immediate controversial statements after claiming the Booker. However, eleven years later, with Dublin getting ready for the Bloomsday centenary celebrations he said Ulysses could have "done with a good edit."

John Banville 2005

The Sea

Banville was the surprise winner in 2005 with a typical Banville novel. And Banville himself was the most surprised that the award should go to a typical Banville novel.
The Wexford writer never wasted much time creating plot or suspense and The Sea was no different. Instead, he throws his energy into creating lyrical and precise sentences.
After winning the award he chose to wind up the "middle-brow literary establishment" by telling Kirsty Wark on Newsnight afterwards that it was nice to see a "work of art" win the prize. He went back for some more aggro in the Guardian the following day complimenting the jury and noting that "there were no stand-up comedians or media celebs on it. There are enough prizes for middle brow fiction. There should be one decent prize for real books."

Anne Enright 2007

The Gathering

Enright's novel focused on 39 year old Veronica Hegarty who's alcoholic brother Liam Enright has committed suicide in Brighton. Veronica tries to trace her family's troubled history to try and make sense of his death. Enright was a former producer of the revolutionary Nighthawks show on RTE in the late '80s and early '90s. Very shortly afterwards, Enright (in a slightly less highbrow controversial salvo than Banville fired after his win) penned an article discussing how much she disliked Kate and Gerry McCann.