I'm so out of the literary loop that it came as a complete surprise to me to hear that the long list for the Man Booker International Prize had already been announced. A quick check on their website reveals the thirteen authors, or should I say, twelve because John Le Carre has withdrawn himself from the list.
The Man Booker International Prize is separate and distinct from the Man Booker Prize because the former recognizes the writer's entire body of work and is awarded to the author who has most contributed to fiction in the world stage. Its a pretty big deal. Looking over this list, there is certainly no shortage of heavyweights and there are several who've already won the Booker Prize.
I think I'm going to bet my money on Philip Pullman. Simply because I loved the Dark Materials Trilogy. That ought to silence all critics who say fantasy and speculative fiction are secondary genres in fiction!
Who's your pick among the thirteen?
