Bookmakers William Hill have named Oxford writer Mark Haddon as 2-1 favourite to win the Whitbread Book of the Year -- one of Britain's two main literary prizes.
His book, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, won the Whitbread Novel Award and is now in the running for the overall Book Of The Year prize on January 27.
The book missed out on the Man Booker Prize shortlist last year, despite a protest from the chairman of judges, Oxford University professor John Carey.
The odds for the Whitbread Prize are: 5-2 Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre; 4-1 Landing Light by Don Paterson; 4-1 Orwell: The Life by DJ Taylor; 9-2 The Fire Eaters by David Almond.
Mr Haddon lives in east Oxford.
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