Dave Woodhouse, UK sales director at the book's publisher Faber & Faber, said: “We've done about 20,000 of the paperback so far and have about 65,000 including the reprint.”

CPI has produced several bestsellers including last year's Man Booker prize winner Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It also prints big hitters the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones books.

CPI customer services director Lisa Faratro did not give precise details on print runs, but said the cover of the 368pp standard B format book had three finishes: matt lamination, spot UV and emboss.

Text was printed at CPI's Chatham site, which runs 11 Timson coldset web offset presses. Covers came from its Croydon facility, which operates six litho presses, pre-press and finishing kit that deliver 3 million covers a week.

“The Man Booker prize represents an incredibly tight turnaround,” she said. “We had to print the new covers and rush them out.”

Man Booker gives instant kudos to writers and bumper orders for printers. Two years ago St Ives Clays rushed out 100,000 reprints plus 70,000 for the rest of the world of Paul Beatty's The Sellout.

For CPI the Man Booker job marks a busy year. Three months ago Circle Media Group took over the pan-European book printer with 17 locations, 2,500 staff and a £320m turnover.

And in August the business took on a Fujifilm Jet Press 720S to produce short-run book jackets, covers and illustrated sections in the books division.

Faber & Faber editorial director Louisa Joyner, who was the editor of Milkman, added the sheer force of the Man Booker and its reach could not be more powerfully deployed than by this “landmark” novel.

On Radio 4's Today programme yesterday, Burns said she would use the £50,000 winnings to pay off debts and finish an earlier book.

The shortlist included Everything Under by Daisy Johnson, The Long Take by Robin Robertson, Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner, and The Overstory by Richard Powers.