Julian Barnes, the author, has critcised the decision to open the Man Booker Prize to American writers, claiming that it harms the chances of unknown novelists from the Commonwealth.

Barnes, 70, who won the Booker in 2011 for The Sense of an Ending, spoke out after the US author Paul Beatty was awarded the literary award last month, becoming the first American writer to win.

Since 2014, the the £50,000 prize has been open to writers of any nationality writing in English and published in Britain. It was previously restricted to the UK, the Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

However Barnes said there were so many ‘big hitters’ in the US that their inclusion skewed the competition.

"I don't agree with opening up the Booker for the Americans. I think that's straightforwardly daft,” he told The Radio Times.

"The Americans have got enough prizes of their own. The idea of (the Booker) being Britain, Ireland, the old Commonwealth countries and new voices in English from around the world gave it a particular character and meant it could bring on writers.

"If you also include Americans - and get a couple of heavy hitters - then the unknown Canadian novelist hasn't got a chance."