Man Booker International Prize 2017 Longlist

Hello Gentle Reader,

Now in its second year format as an annual award for an international writer and their translated novel into English, the Man Booker International Prize has released this year’s shortlist, showcasing a variety of translated fiction, from the well-known to the up and coming. This year’s longlist has strong contenders from Europe, China, Israel and South America. Commentator noticed a unique paradox with this year’s award. Of the thirteen nominated authors, translators and novels, seven of the translators on the list are women, while only three of the nominated writers are women. This once again asks questions about gender bias when it comes to publishing and literary awards by some. Though I do not have any experience in the literary world, besides being a casual reader of no particular standing, I don’t think there is any gender bias for awards or publishing. Literature is not (nor should be) patriarchal, though some would say it is harder to get published if you are a woman, and note statistical data, such as 26% of books translated are by women, and among other noticeable trends such as the Nobel Prize for Literature, throughout its long history has only fourteen women receiving the accolade, in compassion to the ninety-nine men who have won the prize. Yet, with all prizes with literature in general, it’s the work that gets the attention, it’s the merit which deserves the prize, not gender; and even though only fourteen women have won the Nobel Prize for Literature (for example) all fourteen have produced wonderful books with unique perspective of the human condition in an ever changing world. Though last year’s Man Booker International Prize, had received attention with a slight sparsity of women nominated for the award with four women on the longlist, and eight translators being women; Han Kang still won with her novel “The Vegetarian.”

This year’s longlist is again a uniquely complied list of writers, which includes Ismail Kadare, who won the Man Booker International Prize, in its first conceived format back in two-thousand and five. This year’s longlist also includes last year’s shortlisted author Yan Lianke, and two well-known Israeli authors, David Grossman and Amos Oz. Yet the award also celebrates the other writers not as well known or up and coming.

The following Gentle Reader is this year’s Man Booker International Prize, in no particular order:

Wioletta Greg – Poland – “Swallowing Mercury,”

Jon Kalman Stefansson – Iceland – “Fish Have No Feet,”

Alain Mabanckou – France – “Black Moses,”

Clemens Meyer – Germany – “Bricks and Mortar,”

Dorthe Nors – Denmark – “Mirror, Shoulder, Signal,”

Yan Lianke – China – “The Explosion Chronicles,”

Roy Jacobsen – Norway – “The Unseen,”

David Grossman – Israel – “A Horse Walks Into a Bar,”

Samanta Schweblin – Argentina – “Fever Dream,”

Ismail Kadare – Albania – “The Traitor's Niche,”

Stefan Hertmans – Belgium – “War and Turpentine,”

Mathias Enard – France – “Compass,”

Amos Oz – Israel – “Judas,”

There it is Gentle Reader, this year’s Man Booker International Prize for 2017. The list contains a variety of novels and themes, from a Robin Hood figure in the Congo, to the tragic and moral seriousness of David Gossman as he discusses a comedian, to family drama in Norway, to the short bildungsroman about a girl growing up in Poland. This year’s longlist celebrates the international renowned alongside the young and upcoming, with their talented and ambitious works.

Yet another exciting list of writers and novels from around the world; all that is left to be said, is good luck to each of them, and anxiously await the shortlist.

Thank-you For Reading Gentle Reader

Take Care

And As Always

Stay Well Read

M. Mary