The Booker International Prize for Fiction

THis prize began in 2005 when it was won by Ismail Kadare. It is awarded every two years, for a body of work, to a writer whose works have been written in or translated to English.

2007 LIST OF NOMINEES
Margaret Atwood
Alice Munro
Michael Ondaatje
Philip Roth
Don DeLillo
Ian McEwan
Salman Rushdie
Doris Lessing
Chinua Achebe
John Banville
Harry Mulisch
Peter Carey
Amos Oz
Carlos Fuentes
Michel Tournier

I wouldn't even try to pick the winner from that list!

Atwood and Rushdie are two of my favorites.

Can you imagine the cocktail party with that guest list?

Gosh, you're right about the cocktail party. That would be amazing.

I would just chew on olives, big-eyed and listening.

Some of these authors are still relatively young (it's all relative); wonder if they'll go for someone older...

I'll pick one. Amos Oz.

Anyone else want to pick their choice. Let's vote here and see who gets the most votes.

Er, bookishbunny... You'll have to choose between the two you mentioned! :-)

I think it's interesting that they combine works written in English and works translated into English -- and I can't imagine how they're going to pick the "best" from such a list of luminaries. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite; although I'm personally a big Phillip Roth fan, I haven't read enough of some of the others to have an opinion about how he stacks up to them.

Has anyone read Mulisch and Tournier? I must have been living with blinders on, because I have never heard of either of them.

No. Mulisch is from the Netherlands.

Interesting list - some I admit I have not read yet. I must say, however, I don't understand the fascination with Don Delillo. I tried to read his novel Underworld when it first came out and I couldn't even make it to page 50. I hated it!

On the other hand, I love Chinua Achebe's work and have recently discovered the joy of Margaret Atwood.

#10 Well I read the whole of Underworld and I hated it too.

#11 Glad I'm not alone!

#8 Tournier is a French postmodernist author, known for reworking Robinson Crusoe, the wise men (he adds a fourth), fairy tales, etc. I read a couple of his novels years ago and they were quite good. Having said that, I actually thought he was dead.

Re Delillo - something like White Noise or End Zone are better introductions to his work.

I'm gunning for Margaret Atwood.
I feel a bit disloyal as Peter Carey is from Oz, but I haven't read any of his stuff yet.

Btw, I noticed in an article recently that Banville has written a thriller under a pseudonym. The pseudonym and name of the books elude me at the moment. He is younger than I imagined him.

Benjamin Black is a pen name Blanville used in his latest book. (It's was mentioned in the March 25 NYTimes book review of Christine Falls)

Well, I finally got around to read Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood - and found it to be another great book which has won the Booker. Atwood is just such a fabulous writer - and in this book she writes a compelling story based on a real story. Great read!

CHINUA ACHEBE has won the prize.

He is regarded as the father of African fiction. His body of work is given as "over 20 books, including novels, short stories, essays and collections of poetry. Achebe is 76 years of age. I say good choice.

The nominees for the 2009 Man Booker International Prize have just been announced:

Peter Carey (Australia)
Evan S. Connell (USA)
Mahasweta Devi (India)
E.L. Doctorow (USA)
James Kelman (UK)
Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)
Arnošt Lustig (Czechoslovakia)
Alice Munro (Canada)
V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad/India)
Joyce Carol Oates (USA)
Antonio Tabucchi (Italy)
Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo (Kenya)
Dubravka Ugresic (Croatia)
Ludmila Ulitskaya (Russia)

The Guardian has an article about the award:
James Kelman is UK's hope for Man Booker international prize

I hardly know who to root for; there are so many great writers there. I'm a fan of Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Alice Munro, and E. L. Doctorow, and I have books by Mario Vargas Llosa and Dubravka Ugresic waiting in the wings on the TBR pile.

I'm rooting mainly for Ngugi and Llosa. I've read three of Llosa's novels and three of his nonfiction books, but four other Llosa novels are sitting on my shelf. The Feast of the Goat and The Storyteller were both excellent, and I hope to get to Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter and The War of the End of the World sometime this year. I saw him speak a couple of years ago at Emory, as he gave the Ellmann Lectures in Modern Literature there; his book Wellsprings is based on these lectures.

I've read most of Naipaul's novels, but I think that someone else, especially someone less controversial and abrasive, should be recognized. I haven't read anything by Doctorow or Oates yet (though I have at least one book by each author on my shelf), and I had not heard of Connell before today. Kieron Smith, boy by James Kelman is on the front side of my shelf. I'm completely unfamiliar with the eastern European authors or Tabucchi, and I haven't read anything by Devi, Munro or Carey yet.

Now that you remind me, I have read Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, but it was so long ago I've forgotten. I bought almost all of my LLosa books back in the early 80s when Latin-American literature was bursting onto US shelves (including mine), but I haven't read the others that I have (in fact, now that I check, I see I somehow neglected to enter some of them into LT when I was initially cataloging my books -- off to fix that!)

Antonio Tabucchi is a great writer. If you get the chance Pereira declares is about Portugal's Salazar dictatorship. Another excellent work is The missing head of Damasceno Monteiro. Antonio is Italian but Portugal is kind of like his adopted country. Both of the above works are not long. I like Kelman a lot as well. He is politically hard left. Often his characters speak in a Scottish working class vernacular and Kelman identifies strongly with their concerns. Making a musical analogy Kelman is to Scotland what Springsteen or Dylan have been to the USA. Vargas Llosa has some great works and some not so great ones. Conversation in the Cathedral IMO is maybe the best novel to come out of the South American continent in the 20th century. I don't particularly agree with a lot of MVL's opinions but got to give him props for that one.

What's interesting to me is the 2009 list is so different to the 2007 list. A new set of worthy writers has been assembled and several who were considered worthy last time are now forgotten. (Not forgotten, just not there.) Different panel of judges I guess.

Well, I'm a great fan of Oates. I feel I have only dipped my toes in the water here, so to speak; but I find her fascinating - not for any book in particular - but the whole literary package. Just my sampling of her novels, short stories, poetry, essays and journals has, to use the word again, fascinated me.

I've also enjoyed the Ngugi, Carey, Doctorow and Munro, I've read. I do have a James Kelman novel in the pile, recommended by jargoneer after a discussion about Scottish literature.

>24 amandameale: Carey and Munro make repeat appearances, but you are right, there is a big difference in the lists.

British bookmakers have declared Peter Carey the favorite to win this year's Man Booker International Prize, with 6/1 odds, followed by Arnošt Lustig at 7/1 and V.S. Naipaul at 8/1. The Man Booker Prize has an article about the odds on its web site:

Peter Carey is favourite to win the Man Booker International Prize

Alice Munro is the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize:

Canadian short story writer wins biannual prize

Yea Alice!!!!

Oh wow! What a surprise. I didn't expect this at all.

ETA Guardian story which includes a wonderful photo of Alice Munro.

I just heard. Excellent choice. And she lives in my fantasy hometown, (Victoria, BC) so YEA! for the hometown girl.

Late to the party, but this is indeed an excellent choice (and a bit of a surprise, but a terrific one!)

I'm resurrecting this thread because the Prize is being awarded in the first half of this year - 2011. The Man Booker International website doesn't yet have a list of contenders.

According to the Man Booker Prize web site, "The Australian city of Sydney will play an important role in the fourth Man Booker International Prize. The University of Sydney will host the press conference to announce the Judges' list of finalists on 30 March, and the winner of the £60,000 prize will be announced at the Sydney Writers' Festival on 18 May."

Here is the shortlist:

•Wang Anyi (China)
•Juan Goytisolo (Spain)
•James Kelman (UK)
•John le Carré (UK)
•Amin Maalouf (Lebanon)
•David Malouf (Australia)
•Dacia Maraini (Italy)
•Rohinton Mistry (India/Canada)
•Philip Pullman (UK)
•Marilynne Robinson (USA)
•Philip Roth (USA)
•Su Tong (China)
•Anne Tyler (USA)

This is the first time a Chinese writer has been nominated.

John le Carré issued a statement tonight, indicating that he did not want to be considered for the award. From the Man Booker Prize web site:

"I am enormously flattered to be named as a finalist of 2011 Man Booker International Prize. However I do not compete for literary prizes and have therefore asked for my name to be withdrawn."

More info: John le Carré withdraws from Man Booker International Prize 2011

Well! (I wouldn't have given it to him anyway.)

I'll have a bet on Philip Roth, although there are some writers on the list who I know nothing about.

Yes, my library list will be a long one...have been meaning to read Pullman for a while...interesting that there are two Ma/aloufs on the list !! hooray hooray...here we go again !!!

Oh, I see....we're talking about two different prizes...I'm a bit slow....this is the International Prize for a body of work yes? Not the one for a piece of work....right....I get it......unfortunately the Wang Anyi books in our local library are not translated..same goes for Dacia Maraini...sigh..I've placed a hold on State of Siege by Goytisolo...

What is Pullman doing on this list? Does anyone really think he's of a sufficient standard to win an award like this?

#40 No, I don't. And what was John Le Carre doing on the list for that matter. Notice how the list of nominees changes quite a lot every two years - I find that strange as well. I think that some worthy nominees from previous years have been omitted from this list.

I think that some worthy nominees from previous years have been omitted from this list.

I completely agree. I thought it was an odd list, to say the least.

Just read my first James Kelman How late it was, how late and reviewed it here..
http://www.librarything.com/work/93383/book/72421856

Just read my first Su Tong and reviewed it here.....
http://www.librarything.com/work/9406625

Philip Roth was awarded the 2011 Man Booker International Prize in Sydney today:

Philip Roth wins Man Booker International prize

I thought it might be his turn.

One of the prize judges, Carmen Callil, withdrew from the panel after Roth was announced as the winner, saying that "he goes on and on and on about the same subject in almost every single book. It's as though he's sitting on your face and you can't breathe," and "Roth goes to the core of their {Cartwright and Gekoski's, the other judges'} beings. But he certainly doesn't go to the core of mine ... Emperor's clothes: in 20 years' time will anyone read him?"

Here's a link to an article about the controversy from the Guardian Books web site:

Judge withdraws over Philip Roth's Booker win

I agree with her. You're right, Amanda, I thought it would be Roth's turn this year, as he was also nominated for the prize in 2005 and 2007, but I was hoping for a lesser known writer, especially a writer of translated literature, and not "yet another North American writer," as Callil aptly said.

Rarely has the literary world agreed so completely - Roth deserved to win and Callil looks foolish. I suppose we will have to wait until Saturday to hear Callil's reasoning - I just hope it has more substance than the one theme and 'he's a man who hates women' accusations.

GalleyCat's pov.

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/philip-roth-wins-60000-man-booker-internati...

Callil's gripe about Roth perhaps not being the world's greatest living novelist is unreasonable. Of course he might not be, but prizes always involve the subjective because human beings award them. If she doesn't understand that the prize-giving process is fallible then she should never participate again.
She can go shack up with John le Carre, in the wilderness, where reality won't offend her.

I am a big fan of Roth's even though I find his work extremely variable in quality and I feel he's been writing his recent novels for the money. OK, so he doesn't seem to respect women much; he's still written some great books.

The list of finalists for this year's Man Booker International Prize, the £60,000 award which recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction, was announced in Cape Town this morning:

César Aira (Argentina)
Hoda Barakat (Lebanon)
Maryse Condé (Guadeloupe)
Mia Couto (Mozambique)
Amitav Ghosh (India)
Fanny Howe (United States of America)
Ibrahim al-Koni (Libya)
László Krasznahorkai (Hungary)
Alain Mabanckou (Republic of Congo)
Marlene van Niekerk (South Africa)

The 2015 Man Booker International Prize winner will be announced at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 19 May.

http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/man-booker-international-prize-2015-finali...

Interesting list. I gather this award isn't for individual books but for general excellence. I've read works by Aira (some good, some not so good), Couto (wasn't overwhelmed by it), Ghosh (ditto), Kranzahorkai (loved it and want to read more), and Mabanckou (liked all that I've read).

#54--strangely enough rebecca I've read something of all the same writers + Marlene Van Niekerk. The Van Niekerk I've read is Triomf which is IMO extraordinarily good and at times hilariously funny. Of the other writers I like Ghosh and Manbanckou the best. Barakat looks interesting though.

Last summer the Booker Prize Foundation announced that the format of this award would change in 2016, from a biennial prize honoring the lifetime achievement of a single writer, to an annual award for the best work of fiction translated into English, replacing the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. It has a similar format to the Booker Prize, with a longlist of 12 or 13 books, and a shortlist of six books. The inaugural longlist was announced last week:

José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola), A General Theory of Oblivion, translated by Daniel Hahn
Elena Ferrante (Italy), The Story of the Lost Child, translated by Ann Goldstein
Han Kang (South Korea), The Vegetarian, translated by Deborah Smith
Maylis de Kerangal (France) Mend the Living, translated by Jessica Moore
Eka Kurniawan (Indonesia), Man Tiger, translated by Labodalih Sembiring
Yan Lianke (China), The Four Books, translated by Carlos Rojas
Fiston Mwanza Mujila (Democratic Republic of Congo/Austria), Tram 83, translated by Roland Glasser
Raduan Nassar (Brazil), A Cup of Rage, translated by Stefan Tobler
Marie NDiaye (France), Ladivine, translated by Jordan Stump
Kenzaburō Ōe (Japan), Death by Water, translated by Deborah Boliver Boehm
Aki Ollikainen (Finland), White Hunger, translated by Emily Jeremiah & Fleur Jeremiah
Orhan Pamuk (Turkey), A Strangeness in My Mind, translated by Ekin Oklap
Robert Seethaler (Austria), A Whole Life, translated by Charlotte Collins

"The judges will announce a shortlist of six books on 14 April with each author and translator receiving £1,000. The winner of the 2016 Prize will be announced on 16 May at a formal dinner at the V & A, with the £50,000 prize being divided equally between the author and the translator of the winning entry."

http://themanbookerprize.com/news/man-booker-international-prize-2016-longlist-a...

The shortlist for this year's Man Booker Prize for International Fiction has been announced within the past hour:

A General Theory of Oblivion by, José Eduardo Agualusa (Angola), translated by Daniel Hahn
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante (Italy), translated by Ann Goldstein
The Vegetarian by Han Kang (South Korea), translated by Deborah Smith
A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey), translated by Ekin Oklap
A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler (Austria), translated by Charlotte Collins
The Four Books by Yan Lianke (China), translated by Carlos Rojas

I'm thrilled that the three books I've read that I thought were worthy of the shortlist all made it (and the two I thought weren't worthy of the longlist weren't chosen for the next round). I own The Four Books, and I'll get A Strangeness in My Mind soon. I was hoping that The Story of the Lost Child wasn't chosen, as it's the fourth book in Ferrante's series. I'd like to read the entire shortlist, so I'll probably read it in isolation, and try to read reviews of the previous three books to substitute for reading all of them beforehand. The MBIP winner will be announced on 15 May, so I should have time to get to the three remaining books by then.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang is the winner of this year's Man Booker International Prize.

I hope I'm on the right thread. The Guardian has deliberated on which books should be on the long list, apperently coming out Wednesday.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2016/jul/26/man-booker-prize-2016-wh...

Even if they've already been named by the time this is read, I think it is an interesting round up.

Robert

The longlist for this year's Man Booker International Prize was announced last week (the following list includes the author, country of origin, and the novel's translator(s)):

Mathias Énard (France), Charlotte Mandell, Compass
Wioletta Greg (Poland), Eliza Marciniak, Swallowing Mercury
David Grossman (Israel), Jessica Cohen, A Horse Walks Into a Bar
Stefan Hertmans (Belgium), David McKay, War and Turpentine
Roy Jacobsen (Norway), Don Bartlett, Don Shaw, The Unseen
Ismail Kadare (Albania), John Hodgson, The Traitor's Niche
Jon Kalman Stefansson (Iceland), Phil Roughton, Fish Have No Feet
Yan Lianke (China), Carlos Rojas, The Explosion Chronicles
Alain Mabanckou (France), Helen Stevenson, Black Moses
Clemens Meyer (Germany), Katy Derbyshire, Bricks and Mortar
Dorthe Nors (Denmark), Misha Hoekstra, Mirror, Shoulder, Signal
Amos Oz (Israel), Nicholas de Lange, Judas
Samanta Schweblin (Argentina), Megan McDowell, Fever Dream

I'm glad that Judas, the only book from the longlist I've read, was chosen, as I loved it. I don't own any of the other books, but I intend to read all of these novels, as last year's MBIP longlist was superb, and far superior to the mediocre 2016 Booker Prize longlist. The shortlist will be announced on April 20, and the winning novel will be revealed on June 14.

http://themanbookerprize.com/international