The Birdcage Archives

Thursday 10 March 2016

Man Booker International Longlist 2016

Hello Gentle Reader

This is the Man Booker International Prize’s first run in its new traditional format. Before two-thousand and sixteen, the Man Booker International Prize was a biannual award, that was awarded to a writer of international stature and reputation (and of course translated into English) along with their lifetime of work, such winning writers included: Ismail Kadare, Alice Munro and László Krasznahorkai. Now the award is annual, and is no longer awarded to a writer’s lifetime work, but rather a sole individual work, will now be their testament to the award. This year’s longlist, is beginning to show some unique characteristics, that will hopefully stay true for the award, and its international flavour.

The longlist for this new format of the award, is compiled of thirteen authors from twelve countries and nine languages.

The longlist is as follows, with the author, their country of origin, and the title of their longlisted work.

Orhan Pamuk – Turkey – “A Strangeness in my Mind,”
Aki Ollikainen – Finland – “White Hunger,”
José Eduardo Agualusa – Angola – “A General Theory of Oblivion,”
Elena Ferrante – Italy – “The Story of the Lost Child,”
Han Kang – South Korea – “The Vegetarian,”
Maylis de Kerangal – France – “Mend the Living,”
Marie NDiaye – France – “Ladivine,”
Raduan Nassa – Brazil – “A Cup of Rage,”
Eka Kurniawan – Indonesia – “Man Tiger,”
Fiston Mwanza Mujila – Democratic Republic of Congo || Austria – “Tram 83,”
Yan Lianke – China – “The Four Books,”
Robert Seethaler – Austria – “A Whole Life,”
Kenzaburō Ōe – Japan – “Death by Water,”

There you have it Gentle Reader the longlist! On it there is a wide variety of authors, and themes. Some are well known writers, including two Nobel Laureates, while others are rising stars in their respective languages, and their work now coming forward into English with great admiration, in their literary endeavours. It’s certainly a delightful and varied list of writers, and books; certainly something a bit new for the Man Booker Prize association, with its usual drab and bland sense of taste; but this is certainly more flavourful.

Enjoy Gentle Reader!

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read


M. Mary

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