1. Which of the following novels by Julian Barnes has not been shortlisted for the Booker?

   1. Arthur and George

   2. England, England

   3. Talking It Over

   4. Flaubert’s Parrot

2. What pseudonym does Barnes sometimes write under?

   1. Dan Kavanagh

   2. Martin Amis

   3. Benjamin Black

   4. Stella Rimington

3. What did Barnes study at Magdalen College, Oxford?

   1. English literature

   2. Modern languages

   3. Politics, philosophy and economics

   4. History

4. What was Barnes talking about when he said it “usually produces some psychosomatic malady – a throbbing boil, a burning wire of neuralgia, the prod of gout”?

   1. The writing process

   2. The period of expectation before finding out who has won the Booker prize

   3. The Harry Potter books

   4. Tony Parsons

5. What was his first job after graduation?

   1. Barman

   2. Teacher

   3. Tailor

   4. Lexicographer

6. In which of Barnes’s novels is a theme park of the tourist attractions of England created on the Isle of Wight?

   1. Metroland

   2. Cross Channel

   3. England, England

   4. In the Land of Pain

7. What is the story of Barnes’s Booker prize winning novel The Sense of an Ending?

   1. A middle-aged man looks back at his sixth-form days

   2. A young man travels through Greece, India and Africa

   3. A doomed expedition sets off to the South Pacific to capture a dragon

   4. Oliver falls in love with Gillian, but she is married to his best friend Stuart

8. Which European country is particularly fond of Barnes, rewarding him with numerous literary prizes?

   1. Germany

   2. Spain

   3. France

   4. Luxembourg

9. How has Barnes described the Booker in the past?

   1. As the holy grail

   2. As sour grapes

   3. As money for old rope

   4. As posh bingo

10. With which well-known novelist did Barnes fall out, writing him a letter with “two words consisting of seven letters. Three of them are Fs”?

    1. Salman Rushdie

    2. Philip Roth

    3. Martin Amis

    4. Terry Pratchett

Solutions

1:C, 2:A, 3:B, 4:B, 5:D, 6:C, 7:A, 8:C, 9:D, 10:C

Scores

1. 2 and above.

   Oh dear. The novels of the latest Booker winner are clearly closed books to you. Never mind: back to the Harry Potter ...

2. 5 and above.

   Not bad, but you've got some catching up to do. To the library with you!

3. 8 and above.

   Excellent work; you've clearly been paying attention. Feel free to read something by someone else, by the way

4. 10 and above.

   Barnes-storming! Are you, in fact, Julian Barnes? If you are: shame on you. This is no way to celebrate a Booker-win. Turn off the computer and start drinking