Amitav Ghosh is only Indian on Booker list
CAPE TOWN
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Amitav Ghosh on Tuesday emerged as the only Indian author among 10 finalists for this year's Man Booker International Prize for his contribution to English language writing.Kolkata born, 58-year-old Ghosh, had narrowly missed out on the Booker Prize back in 2008 when he was shortlisted for his work Sea of Poppies. The international version of the popular literary prize, to be held in London on May 19, is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in English translation.
The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers. “This is a most interesting and enlightening list of finalists,“ said Jonathan Taylor, chairman of the Booker Prize Foundation.
“For the first time authors included in the list are from 10 countries with six new nationalities,“ said Taylor. They are from Libya, Mozambique, Guadeloupe, Hungary, South Africa and Congo and the proportion of writers translated into English is greater than ever before at 80 per cent.
“The judges have had an exhilarating experience reading for this prize we have ranged across the world and entered the vision of writers who offer an extraordinary variety of experiences,“ said Professor Marina Warner, chair of the judging panel. The awards comes with a £60,000 cheque and can be won only once in an author's lifetime.
The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers. “This is a most interesting and enlightening list of finalists,“ said Jonathan Taylor, chairman of the Booker Prize Foundation.
“For the first time authors included in the list are from 10 countries with six new nationalities,“ said Taylor. They are from Libya, Mozambique, Guadeloupe, Hungary, South Africa and Congo and the proportion of writers translated into English is greater than ever before at 80 per cent.
“The judges have had an exhilarating experience reading for this prize we have ranged across the world and entered the vision of writers who offer an extraordinary variety of experiences,“ said Professor Marina Warner, chair of the judging panel. The awards comes with a £60,000 cheque and can be won only once in an author's lifetime.
