Six different languages, six distinct countries, and three continents feature in the novels shortlisted for this year’s International Booker Prize, showcasing a rich tapestry of cultures, styles, and human experiences.
Eleanor Wachtel, Chair of judges for the 2024 International Booker Prize, highlighted the transformative power of novels, stating, “Novels carry us to places where we might never set foot and connect us with new sensations and memories.” She emphasized the shortlist’s ability to transport readers across vast mental landscapes, often intertwining personal lives with political contexts in innovative ways.
The shortlist for the International Booker Prize 2024 includes:
“Not a River” by Selva Almada, translated from Spanish by Annie McDermott: The narrative revolves around two men and a deceased friend’s teenage son embarking on a fishing expedition. Themes of masculinity, guilt, desire, and societal suspicion permeate this story, described as “prophetic,” “ghostlike,” and “a punch in the gut.”
“Kairos” by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from German by Michael Hofmann: Erpenbeck describes “Kairos” as a tale of both personal love and the unraveling of a political system. Reviewer Lily Meyer notes its ability to reflect and magnify generational and geopolitical divides.
“Crooked Plow” by Itamar Viera Junior, translated from Portuguese by Johnny Lorenz: Two sisters discover a mysterious knife under their grandmother’s bed, leading to a narrative blending magical and social realism. Set amidst Brazil’s poorest region, the novel emphasizes the importance of preserving history and protecting the land.
“Mater 2-10” by Hwang Sok-yong, translated from Korean by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae: Hwang Sok-yong’s ninth translated work, this novel portrays the lives of ordinary Koreans spanning the Japanese colonial era to the twenty-first century.
“What I’d Rather Not Think About” by Jente Posthuma, translated from Dutch by Sarah Timmer Harvey: The protagonist, a twin grappling with the recent suicide of their sibling, navigates personal grief. Posthuma’s novel is lauded for its authenticity and poignant narrative style.
“The Details” by la Genberg, translated from Swedish by Kira Josefsson: Beginning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this novel explores themes of relationships, memory, and time. Praised for its mesmerizing prose, “The Details” offers a profound exploration of human connection.
The winner of the International Booker Prize 2024 will be revealed at a ceremony on May 21 at London’s Tate Modern. The £50,000 prize money will be evenly split between the author and translator(s), with shortlisted authors and translators sharing a £5,000 prize. The event will be livestreamed on the Booker Prizes’ channels, with YouTuber Jack Edwards hosting.
Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel clinched last year’s International Booker Prize for their novel “Time Shelter.”
