M A I N   N E W S

Peter Carey wins Booker Prize

London, October 18
Australian Peter Carey has won the Booker Prize for his novel “True History of the Kelly Gang”.

Carey, who also won the prestigious award in 1988 for “Oscar and Lucinda”, received this year’s Booker at a black-tie dinner at London’s Guildhall.

His work is a fictional account of Australia’s famous anti-hero Ned Kelly, portraying him as orphan, horse thief, bank robber, police killer and finally the nation’s answer to Robin Hood.

The chairman of the judging panel, Lord Baker, called the book “a magnificent story of the early settler days in Australia”.

The prize, and £ 21,000 is bestowed annually on the best novel written in English by an author from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies. It is arguably the most prestigious — and definitely the most glamorous — literary award in the English-speaking world.

Carey, who lives in New York, is the second writer in the Booker’s 33-year history to win the prize twice.

South Africa’s J.M. Coetzee won the Booker in 1983 and 1999.

Carey (58) said his second win had left him shocked and delighted. AP

Phalke Award for Asha Bhonsle

New Delhi, October 18
Playback singer Asha Bhonsle has been selected for the Dada Saheb Phalke award for the year 2000.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, a shawl and a "swarna kamal", an official announcement said today.

The award was instituted in 1969 to commemorate the outstanding contribution of the late Dada Saheb Phalke to the Indian film industry.

President K.R. Narayanan will give away the prestigious award here later this year.

Born on September 8, 1935, Bhonsle was initiated into music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar. Having sung her first song for a Marathi film in 1944, she celebrated her 57th year in the entertainment industry this year.

Bhonsle has the unique distinction of having sung nearly 12,000 songs practically in every Indian language. The versatility of her voice and talent have been acknowledged through a host of awards conferred on her, including the National award twice and the prestigious Filmfare award eight times. UNI