Man Asian Literary Prize announces shortlist, includes Oe

The Man Asian Literary Prize announced the shortlist for its 2010 award Tuesday in Hong Kong. Surprising no one, Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe remains in the running.

The five books on the shortlist are:

"Three Sisters" by Bu Feiyu
"Serious Men" by Manu Joseph
"The Thing About Thugs" by Tabish Khair (not yet available in the U.S.)
"The Changeling" by Kenzaburo Oe
"Hotel Iris" by Yoko Ogawa

To be eligible for the 2010 prize, a book must have been written in English or translated into English. Previously, the requirement was just the opposite -- to be eligible, books were not to have been published in English. The move was made to help the Man Asian Literary Prize have greater resonance abroad.

Although books published in 26 countries and territories are eligible for the Man Asian Literary Prize, writers from just three nations -- China, Japan and India -- made the shortlist.

The winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize will be announced at a dinner on March 17 in Hong Kong.

Also:

Man Asian longlist is announced, led by Nobel Laureate

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Comments

[Alice Grünfelder]

"Three Sisters" is great, but it is written by Bi - not Bu which means "No" - Bi Feiyu.

Best
Alice

[David Parker]

I think the comment about the previous format of the prize ("Previously, the requirement was just the opposite -- to be eligible, books were not to have been published in English") is misleading. The submissions previously were of books not YET published in English, or not YET published in English translation. The change in eligibility was not one of language but in terms of whether the book was unpublished (previously) or published (now). Hope that's clear.