The Man Booker

Internationally acclaimed author Rohinton Mistry is among the 13 writers from eight countries shortlisted for the £ 60,000 The Man Booker International Prize. Launched in 2005 with literary excellence as its sole focus The Man Booker International Prize differs from the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that it highlights one writer’s continued creativity, development and overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. This prestigious prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language. The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers.

Mistry who was in the news last year when his 1991 novel Such a Long Journey was withdrawn from the Bombay University syllabus following a protest from Shiv Sainik activists has also authored A Fine Balance and Family Matters. All the three books had earlier been shortlisted for the Booker Prize, according to the website of The Man Booker Prize. The 59-year-old Bombay born Mistry’s books described as "Indo-nostalgic,” depicting the Indian socioeconomic life and portraying Parsi idiosyncrasies, have won him the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Canada-based Governor General’s Award, the Giller Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize, the Canadian Authors’ Association Award for Fiction and the Timothy Findley Award.

The judging panel for the Man Booker International Prize 2011 consists of writer, academic and rare-book dealer Dr Rick Gekoski (chair), publisher, writer and critic Carmen Callil, and award-winning novelist Justin Cart­wright, as notes their website. The 13 finalists, four of whom are women, included James Kelman, Philip Pullman and John le Carré from UK, Marilynne Robin­son, Philip Roth and Anne Tyler from USA, Wang Anyi and Su Tong from China, Juan Goytisolo (Spain), Amin Maalouf (Lebanon), David Malouf (Australia), Dacia Maraini (Italy) and Rohinton Mistry (India/Canada).

According to Gekoski, "The 2011 list of finalists honors 13 great writers from around the world. It is, we think, diverse, fresh and thought-provoking, and serves to remind us anew of the importance of fiction in defining both ourselves and the world in which we live. Each of these writers is a delight, and any of them would make a worthy winner.” Reportedly le Carré asked that his name should not be recommended for the annual prize to give less established authors an opportunity to win.

The Man Booker International Prize winner will be announced at the Sydney Writers’ Festival on May 18 and the winner will be felicitated at an awards ceremony in London on June 28, 2011.