FemaleFirst
Philip Roth's winning of the 2011 Man Booker International Prize has caused literary controversy. Author Carmen Callil quit the Booker Prize committee after learning that Roth was picked for winner of this year's £60,600 cash prize on Wednesday evening. She told the Guardian, "I don't rate him as a writer at all. I made it clear that I wouldn't have put him on the longlist of nominees, so I was amazed when he stayed there. "He goes on and on and on about the same subject in almost every single book. It's as thought he's sitting on your face and you can't breathe." Head judge of the committee, Rick Gekoski was disappointed with the way Callil had handled the situation. He told the New York Times, "I am very regretful that she would go public in this way because I think it's disrespectful to the winner." Roth has faced scandal and controversy before when he released his 1969 novel Portnoy's Complaint, which was criticised for its sexually explicit monologue. His previous works include American Pastoral and The Human Stain which was turned into a movie starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Nicola Kidman. Roth will be awarded at a formal dinner on 28th June in London.