Alan Hollinghurst won this year's Man Booker Prize

The �60,000 award is open to authors who have published fiction in English or whose work is available in English.

The shortlist will be revealed in early 2005, with the winner announced later in the year.

Organisers say the online People's Choice debate will introduce readers to new names in the literary world.

Online visitors will also be able to track the judging process of the official panel, chaired by Professor John Carey and consisting of writer and academic, Azar Nafisi and writer, novelist and editor, Alberto Manguel.

The introduction of the Man Booker International Prize was announced in June 2004 and will be awarded once every two years to a living author.

The first winner of The Man Booker International Prize will be announced in mid 2005. The prize will be presented at an awards ceremony two months later.