The literary world is hoping the win by New Zealand author Eleanor Catton on the international stage will have flow on effects to the book-selling sector.
Catton, 28, has won the Booker Prize and $95,000 with her novel, The Luminaries.
Eleanor Catton. Photo: VICTORIA UNIVERSITY
Author Emily Perkins who is a senior lecturer at Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters says the win is a boost for local authors because readers will be more interested in New Zealand books.
Unity Books in Wellington hopes the win will be a much-needed "green-shoot" for the New Zealand book trade which is struggling against e-books and big overseas website retailers.
However, author Lloyd Jones, who was short-listed for the Booker Prize in 2007 for his novel Mister Pip told Morning Report the win does not necessarily light up the local landscape.
He says it does not matter where a writer comes from - what matters is the quality of the writing.
