The Curious Incident Of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, selected as the 2003 Whitbread Book of the Year, has sold a staggering million copies since its publication in paperback in April 2004, which its publishers Random House believe is the first time that - with the exception of Harry Potter - a book has sold one million paperback copies in the adult's and children's market so soon after publication.

Originally published in both children's and adult versions, the book has received 17 prizes worldwide since its publication in May 2003, including the Whitbread in January 2004.

Mark Haddon is now working on his next novel which, with the working title Blood and Scissors, he's described as "a comedy about nervous breakdown and skin cancer".