Booker Prize: Hilary Mantel is the favourite Author Will Self is no longer the favourite for the Man Booker Prize, according to bookmakers William Hill. After edging into the lead last week with Umbrella, his fictional account of a patient waking up from a 50-year coma, Self is now second place to Hilary Mantel for Bring up the Bodies, the second part of her Tudor trilogy about the life of Thomas Cromwell. The first in the series, Wolf Hall, won the Man Booker Prize in 2009. First Will Self was favourite, then Hilary Mantel edged into the lead, then punters couldn't split them and now we are making Hilary a very narrow favourite. I don't envy the judges having to split them, it could be the most difficult decision yet" said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe." 6/4 Hilary Mantel (Bring Up The Bodies) 5/1 Alison Moore (Lighthouse) 5/1 Tan Twan Eng (Garden of Evening Mists) 6/1 Deborah Levy (Swimming Home) 10/1 Jeet Thayil (Narcopolis). The Man Booker Prize is announced today at 9.45pm. Follow Telegraph Books on Twitter for the result.