The Man Booker Prize 2016 Longlist

Hello Gentle Reader

Last year’s Booker Prize went to the Jamaican writer Marlon James for his novel “A Brief History of Seven Killings.” The winning novel and writer, were quickly praised, and have further shut down the apprehension and trepidation of the Booker Prize including writers from America. This year’s longlist has been equally praised by critics, and touted by the judges, as continuing the tradition of the Booker Prize, with greater emphasis on literature being produced in the English language. The Longlist is as follows:

J.M. Coetzee – South African/Australia – “The Schooldays of Jesus,”

AL Kennedy – U.K. – “Serious Sweet,”

Deborah Levey – U.K. – “Hot Milk,”

Ian McGuire – U.K. – “The North Water,”

Wyl Menmuir – U.K. – “The Many,”

David Szalay – Canada/U.K. –  “All That Man Is,”

Madeleine Thien – Canada –  “Do Not Say We Have Nothing,”

Paul Beatty – U.S – “The Sellout,”

David Means – U.S – “Hystopia,”

Ottessa Moshfegh – U.S – “Eileen,”

Virginia Reeves – U.S – “Work Like Any Other,”

Elizabeth Strout – U.S – “My Name Is Lucy,”

Graeme Macrae Burnet – U.K – “His Bloody Project,”

On the above list there are:

5 writers from the U.K.

5 writers from the U.S.

2 Bi-national writers (J.M. Coetzee and David Szalay).

1 writer from Canada.

This years Longlist is unique for a few reasons. One is that U.K. and the U.S have the greatest amount of writer on the list, with five writers each (six for the U.K. if you include David Szalay). Also Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee makes another appearance on the Booker Prize longlist (and possible shortlist) with his newest novel “The School Days of Jesus.” Along with Peter Carey, J.M. Coetzee is the only writer, to have won the Booker Prize twice. Along with J.M. Coetzee, as a returning writer to have been placed on the longlist; Deborah Levy also returns with her novel “Hot Milk.” Levy was previously nominated for the prize in 2012 for her novel “Swimming Home.” AL Kennedy also makes it on the list, which comes to surprise when the former judge, over ten years ago called the prize in 2001: “a pile of crooked nonsense.” Yet now Kennedy is on the other end of the prize, and hopefully it has improved over the years. Elizabeth Stout, famous for her Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” – which was made into a wonderful mini-series for HBO; is also on the list with her new novel “My Name Is Lucy.” Perhaps one of the most interesting and surprise inclusions on the list is Graeme Macrae Burnet for his novel “His Bloody Project,” which has been described as a crime novel. But rest assured Gentle Reader, the Booker Prize judges state and proclaimed the novel had transcended the crime fiction genre.

At the end of the day Gentle Reader, thirteen novels, by thirteen very different writers. It will be unique to see what the shortlist will be, and who will be on it. This years shortlist, certainly follows for the most part, last year’s coattails, quite well, including a diversity of new talent alongside established writers.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary