Man Booker Prize judges plant ‘Booker Dozen’ at Woodland Trust’s Hainault Forest

For release Friday 25 April 2014

Today, Friday 25 April, saw the judges of the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction reunited in their last official duty, as they travelled to Hainault Forest to plant trees with the Woodland Trust.

In contrast to their meetings during last year’s prize, this gathering saw the group donning their wellington boots and picking up spades to plant 13 saplings in the heart of what was once Henry VIII’s royal hunting forest. These trees will become a living commemoration of the ‘Booker Dozen’ – the 13 titles longlisted for the 2013 prize.

They will be the sixth judging panel to take part in the prize’s ongoing collaboration with the Woodland Trust, providing a symbolic gesture to compensate for the trees felled in order to produce the hundred-plus books submitted for the prize each year.

Robert Macfarlane, who chaired the panel, was joined by: Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Natalie Haynes, Martha Kearney and Stuart Kelly.

Ion Trewin, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation, joined the five judges and added: “Printed books use wood pulp. By planting a grove of trees each year the Man Booker judges are putting something back.”

Hainault Forest is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is being extended by the Woodland Trust to an additional 53 hectares of land. This former hunting forest was created to provide venison for the King’s table in medieval times and is home to large oaks, hornbeam and ash pollards.

Laura Judson, Woodland Trust Head of Regional Development, said: “Our trees and woods have provided inspiration for countless creative works over the years. It’s critical that we protect irreplaceable ancient woods like Hainault Forest, which cover just 2% of the countryside, to provide stimulation for future generations of writers.”

The Trust recently launched a campaign urging Government to increase protection for ancient woodland across the UK, the charity has already received support from over 45,000 members of the public.

For more information about the Woodland Trust visit www.woodlandtrust.org.uk.  For further information about the prize please visit www.themanbookerprize.com or follow on Twitter at twitter.com/ManBookerPrize.

 

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For further information about the Man Booker Prize for Fiction please contact: Jane Acton

Tel: 0203 697 4000

Jane.acton@fourcolmangetty.com

 

For the further information please about the Woodland Trust please contact: Chris Hickman 

Tel: 01476 581121

Email: chrishickman@woodlandtrust.org.uk

 

 

Notes to Editors:

 

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  Photographs are available via Four Colman Getty

 

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  The longlist for the 2014 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on 23 July and a shortlist of six books will be announced on 9 September.  The Man Booker Prize 2014 winner announcement will be broadcast by the BBC from London’s Guildhall at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 14 October 2014

 

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  The Man Booker Prize for Fiction was first awarded in 1969 and has been sponsored by the Man Group since 2002. The long-term future of the prize was secured in 2011 with the announcement of a renewed 10 year sponsorship from the Man Group. The title ‘Booker Prize’ therefore only applies to prize years 1969 – 2001, before Man Group plc’s sponsorship began.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could ensure that your editorial is factually correct by referring to the prize’s full title at least once, if not in the headline, then in your next subsequent mention.  For a full history of the prize including previous winners, shortlisted authors and judges visit the website: www.themanbookerprize.com

 

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  The Booker Prize Foundation Advisory Committee, which advises on any changes to the rules and on the selection of the judges, represents all sides of the book world. Its members are: Ion Trewin, Chair (Literary Director, Booker Prize Foundation); Richard Cable, publisher; Mark Chilton, Company Secretary and General Counsel of Booker Group plc; Emmanuel Roman, Chief Executive, Man; Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust; Maggie Fergusson, writer and Secretary of the Royal Society of Literature; Basil Comely, BBC TV; Derek Johns, literary agent; Peter Kemp, Chief Fiction Reviewer, The Sunday Times; James Daunt,  Managing Director of Waterstone’s; Nigel Newton, publisher; Fiammetta Rocco, literary editor, The Economist (Man Booker International Prize Administrator); Eve Smith (Company Secretary, the Booker Prize Foundation); and Robert Topping; Topping & Company Booksellers

 

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  The Booker Prize Foundation is a registered charity (no 1090049) which, since 2002, has been responsible for the award of the prize. The trustees of the Booker Prize Foundation are former Chairman of Booker plc, Jonathan Taylor CBE (Chair); Lord Baker of Dorking CH; playwright and President of the Royal Literary Fund, Sir Ronald Harwood CBE; former Chair of the British Council and Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford, Baroness Kennedy QC; Professor of Creative Writing, Royal Holloway College University of London and former Poet Laureate, Sir Andrew Motion; broadcaster, James Naughtie; biographer, Victoria Glendinning CBE and former Finance Director of Rentokil plc, Christopher Pearce. Martyn Goff CBE, former Man Booker Prize administrator, is President of the Foundation and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne and Baroness Neuberger are Vice Presidents

 

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  Man is a world-leading alternative investment management business. It has expertise in a wide range of liquid investment styles including managed futures, equity, credit and convertibles, emerging markets, global macro and multi-manager, combined with powerful product structuring, distribution and client service capabilities. At 31 December 2012, Man managed $57.0 billion.

 

The original business was founded in 1783. Today, Man Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250 Index with a market capitalisation of around $1.8 billion. Man is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Man also supports many awards, charities and initiatives around the world, including sponsorship of the Man Booker literary prizes. Further information can be found at www.man.com

 

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  Booker is the UK's leading food wholesaler with over 170 branches nationwide.  It serves over 350,000 independent businesses

 

Blind and partially sighted people can read the entire longlist in braille and giant print; these books are produced by RNIB thanks to funding from generous donors including The Booker Prize Foundation.  The Man Group PLC Charitable Trust pays separately for the shortlist to be produced as Talking Books.

 

The Foundation is also working with the Sound Archive of the British Library on its 'National Life Stories - Authors’ Lives' project by funding archive interviews with authors.

 

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  The Booker Prize Archive was given on loan in 2003 to Oxford Brookes University where it now resides

 

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  The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading charity championing native woods and trees. It has over 400,000 supporters.

 

The Trust has three key aims: i) plant native trees and woods with the aim of creating resilient landscapes for people and wildlife ii) protect ancient woodland which is rare, unique and irreplaceable iii) restoration of damaged ancient woodland, bringing precious pieces of our natural history back to life

 

Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its woods is free.

 

Further news can be found via: www.woodlandtrust.org.uk. All media enquiries:  01476 581121