23 September 2011 Last updated at 08:33 ET

Booker Prize current shortlist is 'best-selling'

The six hopefuls have had a sales boost since they made the shortlist

The shortlist for this year's Booker Prize has enjoyed the best sales boost since the announcement of the six contenders, new figures reveal.

Some 37,500 copies of the books have been sold since the shortlist was revealed on 6 September, more than double the previous record set in 2009.

Snowdrops by AD Miller is the biggest seller so far, followed by Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch.

The prize winner will be revealed at a ceremony in London on 18 October.

The successful author will walk away with a cheque for £50,000 and is likely to see a considerable sales increase after the win.

Price is thought to be a contributing factor in the current sales boost with the shortlisted titles available for less than £8 each, most in paperback.

Julian Barnes rates third in post-shortlist sales with his novel The Sense of an Ending.

But the author may be considered a leading contender to lift the prize, having been shortlisted for it on three previous occasions.

Stephen Kelman's Pigeon English, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt and Esi Edugyan's Half Blood Blues make up the second half of the shortlist sales list.

Miller is at number one with 11,800 sales following the announcement, with Edugyan registering 2,800 in sixth spot.

It is thought that Miller is also enjoying a boost in fortunes due after featuring on Richard and Judy's WH Smith book club picks.