by Niall McArdle
The Man Booker Prize has annnounced its longlist for this year’s award.
Thirteen novels are on the list, including four by American authors – this is the first year that the prize has been opened up to authors from across the globe.
Some critics and pundits were upset at the idea.
The list of authors includes six Britons, four Americans, two Irishmen, and an Australian.
And the nominees are:
To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, Joshua Ferris (Viking)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan (Chatto & Windus)
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler (Serpent’s Tail)
The Blazing World, Siri Hustvedt (Sceptre)
J, Howard Jacobson (Jonathan Cape)
The Wake, Paul Kingsnorth (Unbound)
The Bone Clocks, David Mitchell (Sceptre)
The Lives of Others, Neel Mukherjee (Chatto & Windus)
Us, David Nicholls (Hodder & Stoughton)
The Dog, Joseph O’Neill (Fourth Estate)
Orfeo, Richard Powers (Atlantic Books)
How to be Both, Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton)
History of the Rain, Niall Williams (Bloomsbury)
The list includes one previous Booker winner, Howard Jacobson, and two previously shortlisted authors, Ali Smith and David Mitchell.
Bookmaker William Hill has O’Neill as favourite to win.
The prize – one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world – is worth £50,000.
The judges for this year’s prize are philosopher Antony Grayling (chair), critic Sarah Churchwell, neuroscientist Daniel Glaser, academic Jonathan Bate, man of letters Alastair Niven and author Erica Wagner.
The shortlist will be announced on September 9th, giving you more than enough time to read the blurbs and a few reviews so that you can talk bullshit at dinner parties. Expect a lot of discussion about the presence of Yanks on the list.
If you’re stuck for something to say, use the following:
“Well, at least Jonathan Franzen isn’t on the list.”
The winner will be announced on October 14th.
Start bluffing now.
Advertisements
I haven’t read any Niall. If I keep doing this blogging lark, I will never have time to read a book again mate!
Cheers, Pete.
LikeLike