Man Booker Prize Longlist

Earlier this week, a panel of  judges announced the longlist for the prestigious Man Booker Prize.  This year's list is noted for its diversity with seven countries represented.  Chair of the judges Robert Macfarlane commented "After we put the list together, we tried to see what links them together, and all that linked them was how varied they are, in form, in tone, in length."

 Currently six of the nominated titles are available in the United States and at the Library.


Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw
Harvest by Jim Crace
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
The Testament of  Mary by Colm Toibin
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Two others will be released here this fall:The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri in September and The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton in October.  

The prize, launched in 1969, "aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland." The prize winner receives ₤50,000; each shortlisted author a ₤2,500 check.  The shortlist will be announced September 10th and the winner will be chosen in October.

TransAtlantic is already popular in Lake Forest.  If you enjoy literary fiction, others on the list are also worth a look.