Newcomers dominate this year’s International Booker Prize longlist, with only two of the 25 authors and translators – Megan McDowell and Can Xue – having previously been longlisted. The longlist includes a book translated by its author for the first time, by Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o. However, a theme does emerge – migration, the pain of it, but also the fruitful interconnectedness of the modern world. The contribution of both author and translator is given equal recognition, with the £50,000 prize split evenly between them. 2021 International Booker Prize longlistI Live in the Slums by Can Xue, translated from Chinese by Karen Gernant & Chen Zeping (Yale University Press)The judges said: “Who’s speaking?

Source: The Irish Times March 30, 2021 07:52 UTC