Shock omissions from literary prize list

British author Julian Barnes was named hot favourite for the Booker Prize today, but the biggest shock was the omission of three literary heavyweights from the shortlist for the prestigious award. To the surprise of literary critics, the judges decided not to pick three previous Booker winners - Salman Rushdie, J.M. Coetzee and Ian McEwan - as finalists for the £50,000 ($92,000) prize. Article continues