Last year's winner was the very well-known Hilary Mantel for one of my favorite books, Bring Up the Bodies. But the longlist included some of the most amazing books I'd never heard of: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Teleportation Accident, The Lighthouse. So good.
These are books that haunt me, to be honest, and that I call to mind often. In 2011, Pigeon English was on both the shortlist and the longlist. There is not a month that goes by that I don't at some point think of 11-year-old Harrison Opoku, the hero of that novel. The selection committee and the judges for these awards very rarely disappoint.
Therefore, I am putting you on notice: I am about to read these 13 books in a frenzy and I may not look up for weeks. You'll probably find many of the selections in my reviews later this year, if the past nominees are anything to go by.
At least I have until Sept. 10 to read them all. That's when the judges - who read 131 books to determine this list - will name their shortlist for the prize. The actual winner will be announced on Oct. 15.
At least I have until Sept. 10 to read them all. That's when the judges - who read 131 books to determine this list - will name their shortlist for the prize. The actual winner will be announced on Oct. 15.
Meanwhile, here is the longlist, just in case you want to put your eyesight in jeopardy, too. You can also find a Pinterest board of the nominees here.
Almost English, Charlotte Mendelson
Five Star Billionaire, Tash Aw
Harvest, Jim Crace
The Kills, Richard House
The Lowland, Jhumpa Lahiri
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton
The Marrying of Chani Kaufman, Eve
Harris
The Spinning Heart, Donal Ryan
A Tale for the Time Being, Ruth Ozeki
The Testament of Mary, Colm Tóibín
TransAtlantic, Colum McCann
Unexploded, Alison MacLeod
We Need New Names, NoViolet Bulawayo
I think they should hire you as a judge. You're probably the only person I know who could easily read the requisite 131 books.
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