The big event in London this week, the Man Booker Prize announced its longlist of twelve titles:
Nicola Barker, The Yips
Ned Beauman, The Teleportation Accident
André Brink, Philida
Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists
Michael Frayn, Skios
Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
Deborah Levy, Swimming Home
Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
Alison Moore, The Lighthouse
Will Self, Umbrella
Jeet Thayil, Narcopolis
Sam Thompson, Communion Town
Absent are Zadie Smith (NW
, her first novel in seven years), John Lancaster (Capital), Ian McEwan (Sweet Tooth), Martin Amis (Lionel Asbo), Peter Carey (The Chemistry of Tears
), Rose Tremain (Merivel), John Banville (Ancient Light), Pat Barker (Toby's Room), Howard Jacobson (Zoo Time), Philip Hensher (Scenes from Early Life
), James Kelman (Mo Said She Was Quirky), William Boyd (Waiting for Sunrise), Sebastian Faulks (A Possible Life), Irvine Welsh (Skagboys), and Jeanette Winterson's witch trial novel (The Daylight Gate). Not sure about timing qualifications for Colm Tóibín in October (The Testament of Mary
) and Alice Munro in November (Dear Life).
What is it about awards in the world? Nobody is MISSING on a list of people who other people think deserve something the people they didn't think about don't deserve. It's arbitrary. Like what you had for lunch. Everybody WINS, if anybody bothers looking up from the screen to read their books. :-) ... Just sayin'
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Posted by: king | July 26, 2012 at 11:32 PM
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Posted by: lianggfg | July 26, 2012 at 11:33 PM
A new novel from Winterson? A British friend stranded in the UK (can't get US student visa appointment until after the Olympics) will still be there on August 16 to pick up a copy for me. Selfish, I admit it. And Toibin's novella in November. Love the detail in the PW synopsis: that Mary did not believe Jesus was the son of god. Champing here.
Posted by: Sandy | July 27, 2012 at 07:44 AM
Like Sandy, I'm thrilled to see all the other books that are coming out. A new Pat Barker and a Rose Tremain along with Toibin and Winterson. Thanks for keeping me up to date, Stephen.
Posted by: Cynthia | July 29, 2012 at 07:04 PM