India, Nov. 12 -- The Booker Prize is among the world's best-known literary awards, recognising some of the most celebrated works of fiction. But have you ever wondered why its shortlist features novels and other works of fiction, while poetry collections and plays are left out? The answer lies in the award's origins and the purpose for which it was first established in 1969.

The Booker Prize was first presented in 1969, when British publishers Tom Maschler and Graham C Greene came up with the idea for an award that would bring greater attention to contemporary fiction. They secured the backing of Booker McConnell, a company that became the prize's original sponsor.

According to the Booker Prize Foundation's history of the award, its or...