The longlist for the International Booker Prize 2024 is announced!
The list signals a second ‘boom’ in Latin American literature, and ‘emphasises our common humanity in a violent world'
The 2024 longlist for the International Booker Prize, the world’s most significant award for a single work of translated fiction, is announced today.
With over a quarter of the nominated titles written by South American authors, and with books representing Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela, the longlist signals a second ‘boom’ in Latin American fiction.
The 13 longlisted books are translated from ten original languages: Albanian, Dutch, German, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. While some authors and their books might be unfamiliar to English-speaking readers, many are considered to be their respective countries’ greatest living writers. The inaugural winner of the prize in 2005, Ismail Kadare, makes the longlist. Nine authors and nine translators are longlisted for the first time.
A number of the books highlight the struggles of individuals and minorities in the face of oppression. History – both personal and national – weighs heavily on characters, whether as a result of the hangover of communism in Eastern Europe, the legacy of slavery and land theft in Brazil, or the stultifying effect of military dictatorship in Korea.
The 13 books on the longlist are:
Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott
Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann
The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson
White Nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster
Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae
A Dictator Calls by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson
The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk
What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey
Lost on Me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko
The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz
Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches
Each year the International Booker Prize introduces readers to the best novels and short story collections from around the world that have been translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland.
The prize recognises the vital work of translators with the £50,000 prize money divided equally: £25,000 for the author and £25,000 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators). In addition, there is a prize of £5,000 for each of the shortlisted titles: £2,500 for the author and £2,500 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators).
The 13 books on the longlist have been chosen by the 2024 judging panel: broadcaster and journalist Eleanor Wachtel, as chair; award-winning poet Natalie Diaz; internationally acclaimed novelist Romesh Gunesekera; groundbreaking visual artist William Kentridge; and writer, editor and translator Aaron Robertson. Click here to find out what the judges said about each of the longlisted books.
Their selection was made from 149 books published between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024 and submitted by publishers – the highest number since the prize was relaunched in its current format in 2016. This year’s submissions were made up of books originally written in 32 languages, up from 27 in 2023. Since 2016, books representing 63 languages have been submitted for the prize, ranging from Farsi and Vietnamese to Kikuyu and Welsh.
A variety of fictional forms are represented on this year’s longlist: from magical realism to autofiction, from allegory to short stories, from books that span multiple generations to one constructed around a three-minute telephone conversation. Several titles are rooted in family life, from the relationship between fathers and sons to daughters and mothers, from separated twins to orphanhood.
Independent publishers once again dominate the list: nine independents have been longlisted, including two, Seven Stories Press UK and MTO Press, for the first time.
Eleanor Wachtel, International Booker Prize 2024 Chair of judges, says:
‘From a protest on the top of a factory chimney in South Korea to a transformative fishing trip in remote Argentina, from the violent streets of Kyiv in 1919 to a devastating sexual relationship in 1980s East Berlin, our longlisted books offer stunning evocations of place and time. Here are voices that reflect original angles of observation. In compelling, at times lyrical modes of expression, they tell stories that give us insight into – among other things – the ways political power drives our lives.
‘What my fellow jurors and I hoped to find are books that, together, we could recommend to English-speaking readers. After narrowing down 149 submitted titles to these 13, we are delighted to say, “Here, we’ve scoured the world and brought back these gifts.”’
Fiammetta Rocco, Administrator of the International Booker Prize, adds:
‘The judges were drawn to books that, in a violent world, emphasise our common humanity: books that speak of courage and kindness, of the vital importance of community, and of the effects of standing up to tyranny.
‘The list highlights the growing pool of talented South American writers, signalling a second ‘boom’ in Latin American fiction. When asked last year why Ireland has the best writers, after four Irish authors appeared on the Booker Prize longlist for 2023, the eventual winner Paul Lynch said: “Can I let you into a secret? I think South America has the best writers.” It has been fantastic to see two Latin American titles shortlisted in previous years recently become successful Netflix adaptations, Elena Knows and Hurricane Season.
‘The judges of the International Booker Prize have read more books than ever before – 149 titles translated from 32 languages. Both their commitment through the many months of reading, and the care they took in listening to each other’s different perspectives, showed a big-hearted intelligence that is essential to helping imagine a better world.’
The shortlist for this year’s prize will be announced on Tuesday, 9 April, 2024. The announcement of the winning book for 2024 will take place at a ceremony in London on Tuesday, 21 May, 2024, which will be livestreamed.
To find out more about the books, authors and translators on the longlist, visit thebookerprizes.com. There you will also find details of our International Booker Prize Reading Challenge, which has been launched to encourage individuals and book clubs to explore the 2024 list, share their thoughts, and connect with other readers from around the world via the Booker Prizes social channels. The challenge will be supported with content on the Booker Prizes website, including reading guides and – coming soon! – extracts, interviews and features, as well as downloadable assets to allow readers to track their progress.
What an exciting list!!! A Monday has never felt so good