John Banville's "The Sea" takes 2005 Booker prize

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

He beat favourite Julian Barnes, shortlisted for Arthur & George, and fellow nominees Zadie Smith, Ali Smith, Sebastian Barry and Kazuo Ishiguro.

(...)

Banville said: "Even if I'd lost I'd still think it was a good year for the Booker. It's been a good year for fiction.

"It's nice to see a work of art winning the Booker Prize - whether it's a good work of art or a bad one, it's what I intended it to be.
"I'm very encouraged that people have responded to a book that's very carefully crafted."

It is second time lucky for Banville, whose novel The Book Of Evidence was shortlisted for the Booker in 1991. Then, it was Ishiguro who came out on top with The Remains Of The Day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4319734.stm

And a review from the Beeb:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4329114.stm