Until which year was the Booker Prize restricted to authors from Commonwealth countries, Ireland and Zimbabwe — and what change happened after?
- Until 2013; from 2014 opened to any English author published in UK or Ireland
- Until 2001; from 2002 opened globally when Man Group became sponsor
- Until 2018; from 2019 opened globally when Crankstart became sponsor
- It has always been open to authors from any country
Answer: Until 2013 (eligibility changed in 2014 to include any author writing in English, published in UK or Ireland)
The Booker Prize was originally open only to writers from the Commonwealth of Nations, the Republic of Ireland, and Zimbabwe. From 2014 onwards, the prize opened to any work written in English and published in the UK or Ireland, regardless of the author's nationality. This brought in American and other non-Commonwealth authors for the first time and sparked significant debate about whether it would dominate the prize.