New Zealand-born Eleanor Catton, 28, became the youngest ever winner of the Man Booker prize last night for her book, The Luminaries.
Also the longest book to take the title (its a whopping 832 pages), the win makes her the 16th woman to be awarded the prize since 1969.
The Luminaries is set in Victorian times during the New Zealand gold rush and follows the story of Walter Moody who finds himself involved with a string of unsolved mysteries.
The award was presented by the Duchess of Cornwall, an big supporter of literacy, at a glamorous event at Londons Guildhall.
Here are team ELLEs favourite long reads:
Natasha Pearlman, deputy editor
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Over 800 pages, but SO worth it! (except for the last chapter)
Diana Gavrilina, picture desk
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4 volumes and an epilogue in two parts
Jules Kosciuczyk, Fashion Features Assistant
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Pretty heavy at 1349 pages!
Lucy Johnston, Digital Photo Assistant
Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky
I'm still not at the end! Its an incredible read but its taking me YEARS
Collette Lyons, Acting Content Director
The Bible! I did a theology degree
Emma Sells, fashion features writer
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
A hefty 1,037 but worth every one
Kari Wilkin, Acting Deputy Chief Sub-editor
Middlemarch by George Eliot, Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and the
entire Game of Thrones series by George R R Martin.
Miette L Johnson, art director
Being and Nothingness by Jean Paul Satre
864 pages and 1.2 pounds, according to Amazon. Ill be reading and re-reading this to the end of my days. Essential for anyone who is interested in exploring or getting hopelessly lost in Existentialism. Also useful for self defense, as it easily converts any handbag into a lethal weapon.
Hannah Swerling, commissioning editor
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The cult authors new book is nearly 800 pages but rave early reviews suggest thats simple not enough. I start this weekend.
Susan Ward Davies, Travel & Lifestyle Director
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
704 pages. I read it when I had amoebic dysentery years ago which necessitated practically living in various loos all through Malaysia and Thailand - it really kept me company.
Suzanne Sykes, creative director
A Fine balance by Rohinton Mistry
624 pages
Jamie Spence, picture assistant
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling
766 pages. I had to be honest. A beast for a children's book
