Blessed are the media workers ...

I was mildly surprised in June when the editors of the BBC's Newsnight Late Review chose to discuss James Meek's A People's Act of Love rather than its staple of popular trash and established literary names. You will know that it has now made the Booker Longlist. However, today's Observer reveals the likely reason for its unusual rise to prominence: "Two years ago [Meek] was foreign reporter of the year."

And then Stephanie Merritt, in her summary of the longlist, tells us that one of the nominees "was the producer behind some of the most successful television comedies of the past 15 years". No wonder she claims that "this year's Booker winner is unlikely to be a controversial choice".