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A dystopian vision of Dublin riven by civil war, a meditation on trauma and survival set in an unnamed rural community, and a formally dazzling study of racial identity in America are among the six novels shortlisted for this year’s Booker prize. The judges hailed the shortlisted works as “vibrant and electric”.
The three titles competing for the prestigious award are Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein, and If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery. They will be competing against three others: This Other Eden by Paul Harding, The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, and Western Lane by Chetna Maroo.
Esi Edugyan, chair of the judges and a novelist herself, stated that the shortlist represents a “full range of lived experience”. Fellow judge, actor Adjoa Andoh, commended the list’s “variety, which is about who we are as human beings”.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, described in a Financial Times review as “generous, immersive, sharp-witted, and devastating”, focuses on a rural Irish family threatened to be torn apart by financial problems. This Other Eden by Paul Harding imagines life in an isolated utopian community in Maine, battling against outsiders trying to change it.
Chetna Maroo is the only British author among the finalists, with her atmospheric, novella-length study of three British-Indian sisters in west London who become obsessed with squash after the death of their mother. Two of the other writers are from Ireland, two from the US, and one from Canada.
Edugyan emphasized that “together these works showcase the breadth of what world literature can do. Each speaks distinctly about our shared journeys while refusing to be defined as any one thing”.
Last month’s longlist sparked interest for featuring a large number of Irish authors, making up one-third of the total selection—a novelty for the Booker prize—along with an unusual number of debut novels. Four out of thirteen books were by first-time authors, while acclaimed names like Zadie Smith, Sir Salman Rushdie, and Barbara Kingsolver were absent.
Two of the debut novelists, Maroo and Escoffery, have made it to the shortlist. They are balanced out by more established voices. Murray has been nominated once before in 2010, while Harding has won a Pulitzer prize.
The presence of Irish talent is notable. Judge and Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro described it as “a return on investment”, highlighting Ireland’s support for culture and literature. “There are certain countries that have invested in the arts and invest in writers,” he said.
The winner of the £50,000 prize will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 26.
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