Howard Jacobson awarded 2010 Man Booker Prize for 'The Finkler Question'

British author Howard Jacobson was awarded the 2010 Man Booker Prize for his comic novel 'The Finkler Question' at a ceremony in the Guildall Hall in London on Tuesday night.

It was for the first time in the Award's 42-year history that a comic novel was chosen winner.

Jacobson's darkly comic novel has been voted over Tom McCarthy's 'C' and four other writers--Peter Carey (Parrot & Olivier in America,), Emma Donoghue (Room), Damon Galgut (In a Strange Room), Andrea Levy (The Long Song)--for the coveted British publishing's most prestigious award, RTTNews reports.

"I am speechless," Jacobson, 68, said as he took the stage, joking, "Fortunately, I prepared one earlier." Jacobson, a native of England who has written 15 books and has a weekly column in the British newspaper the Independent, has twice been long-listed for the Man Booker - in 2002 and 2006 - but this was the first year he made it to the short list.

The Man Booker, the most prestigious award in British publishing, comes with an award of 50,000 pounds or about $79,000; it all but guarantees bestseller status in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles Times says.