Chronicling Thomas Cromwell's rise from blacksmith's son to a prominent position in Henry VIII's court, the novel became a best-seller after winning the 2009 Man Booker Prize and various other awards.

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In Britain, Ian Rankin typically publishes a new novel in October, and it tends to go to the top of the best-seller list.

NEWYORKER: Mugglemarch

Faulks, who topped the best seller list and won critical acclaim for his World War I saga Birdsong, won the award for his latest novel Charlotte Gray.

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