Indian-origin author in Booker Prize longlist
Thursday, 24/07/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140724/world.htm#3
London : This year's Man Booker longlist announced today was dominated by American and British authors with no Indian finding a place among the competitors for the coveted prize in its first incarnation as a global literary award.
There are six novels from Britain, five from the US, one from Australia and one from Ireland shortlisted for the prize. Even as no Indian author could make the cut, Neel Mukherjee, an Indian-origin British author, made it to the shortlist.
Australia's Richard Flanagan is the only non-British representative of the Commonwealth on the 13-strong list, while US novelists fill four spots.
The British novels are 'J' by Howard Jacobson, 'The Wake' by Paul Kingsnorth, 'The Bone Clocks' by David Mitchell, 'The Lives of Others' by Mukherjee, 'Us' by David Nicholls and 'How To Be Both' by Ali Smith.
In the event, judges chose four Americans: Joshua Ferris, Siri Hustvedt, Karen Joy Fowler and Richard Powers. An Irish-born US resident Joseph O'Neill was also named in the list.
Irishman Niall Williams made it to the list for his 'History of the Rain'.
Former winner Howard Jacobson is also in the running again.
The rules of the prize changed at the end of 2013, to embrace "the freedom of English in all its vigour, its vitality, its versatility and its glory wherever it may be", opening up to writers beyond the UK and Commonwealth.
Man Booker’s new avatar
For the first time in its 46-year history, the £50,000 prize has been opened up to writers of any nationality, writing originally in English and published in the UK
Previously, the prize was open to authors from the UK & Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland and Zimbabwe
First awarded in 1969, the prize is recognised as the touchstone for high quality literary fiction written in English
There are six novels from Britain, five from the US, one from Australia and one from Ireland shortlisted for the prize.