Bookmakers have given a Jewish author's musing on depression and loyalty 14:1 to win the Man Booker prize.

The longlist for the prestigious literary award, which comes with a £50,000 prize, was announced yesterday, bringing it into its 44th year.

Deborah Levy has been included on the list for the first time, for her novel "Swimming Home". Ms Levy has written more than a dozen books,

The favourite for this year at this early stage is Hilary Mantel for her book "Bring Up the Bodies", the sequel to the Man Booker winning "Wolf Hall".

Authors will find out if they have made the shortlist on September 11, with the winner announced the following month.

A Man Booker win can boost an author's sales considerably. Twenty eight years after it won the prize, Thomas Keneally's tale of heroism during the Holocaust, Schindler's Ark, has sold more than two million copies.