S Africa’s Galgut, US author Powers lead Booker Prize race

LONDON (AP) — The winner of the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction will be chosen from six novels that explore historical traumas, the nature of consciousness and the mind-warping power of the internet. South African writer Damon Galgut’s “The Promise” is British bookmakers’ favorite to win the 50,000 pound ($69,000 prize). Second-favorite is U.S. writer Richard Powers’ “Bewilderment.” Other contenders are Americans Patricia Lockwood and Maggie Shipstead, Sri Lankan author Anuk Arudpragasam and British-Somali writer Nadifa Mohamed. The Booker Prize was founded in 1969 and is open to all novels in English published in the U.K. The winner will be announced Wednesday at a ceremony in London.