All 13 writers on this year’s ‘unconventional’ International Booker Prize longlist are first-time nominees, with indie publishers dominating like never before
As one of the most prestigious prizes in literature, the International Booker Prize celebrates English translations of international works, recognising the best (and often underappreciated) original writers and translators.
“Translated fiction is not an elite or rarefied cultural space requiring expert knowledge; it is the exact opposite,” said judging chair and author Max Porter in a press statement. “It is stories of every conceivable kind from everywhere, for everyone. It is a miraculous way in which we might meet one another in all our strangeness and sameness and defy the borders erected between us.”
Out of the whopping 154 books submitted from 15 different nationalities across five continents, 13 books were chosen, interestingly with most being short stories.
“As we searched for our longlist amongst the 154 books submitted, we marvelled at what the world was thinking,” said Porter. “How are people making sense of these times using the novel as a vehicle for thought and feeling? And how are translators taking these books and — in English — making them sing or scream?
Every author is a first-time nominee, with newcomers like Mircea Cărtărescu, Hiromi Kawakami, Dahlia de la Cerda and Christian Kracht. Four translators also made a return to the list, including Sophie Hughes who earned a record-breaking fifth nomination for her work on Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection.
Impressively, 12 of the 13 nominated works came from independent presses, signalling a victory for small publishers over the dominance of publishing behemoths.
Cărtărescu is the first Romanian author to be nominated for his novel Solenoid, alongside Sinan Antoon, the first Iraqi translator nominated for translating Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem’s The Book of Disappearance.
Another newcomer, Banu Mushtaq, is the first native speaker of Kannada from southwest India to be nominated for her book Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi.
The ultimate prize is £50,000 (that’s nearly $100,000AUD) which will be divided between the winning work’s author and translator.
Stay tuned for the shortlist announcement on April 8, with the official winner revealed on May 20 at a ceremony at Tate Modern in London.
Words by Laura Gordon.
