In case you missed it, The Man Booker Prize longlist was announced recently, highlighting some of the years greatest writers and their respective novels. The 13 strong longlist of authors and their books will now be put forward to be narrowed down into the shortlist on the 10th September before the 2013 winner is announced on the 15th October.
Having ploughed through the 151 contenders the judges (Robert MacFarlane, Martha Kearney, Stuart Kelly, Natalie Haynes and Robert Douglas-Fairhurst) have managed to whittle it down to the 13 below, with three debut authors (Eve Harris, NoViolet Bulawayo and Donal Ryan), as well as more established writers, including Jim Crace and Colm Tóibín who have both appeared previously on the Booker Prize shortlist.
The Man Booker Prize 2013 longlist nominees:
The Kills by Richard House
Richard House’s 3rd novel, The Kills surrounds a former military base of mercenary proportions in Iraq as a vast fortune goes missing before it can be converted for civilian use, leaving everyone involved in a world of trouble.
TransAtlantic by Colum McCann
TransAtlantic is a story that spans four generations of Irish women going back to the outbreak of the potato famine of 1845, through the American Civil War, right up to the more recent troubles in Northern Ireland.
Harvest by Jim Crace
Spinning together a tale of village life as it implodes following the arrival of dark visitors.
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
NoViolet Bulawayo’s debut novel is about life in the shanty and the dream of a better life.
The Marrying of Chani Kaufman by Eve Harris
A 19 year old Chani learns about the birds in the bees on the back of an upbringing in the heart of an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in North West London.
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
28 year old Eleanor Catton weaves a mystery in 19th century New Zealand in the midst of the gold rush.
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Yet another mystery is unwound in A Tale for the Time Being with the arrival of a piece of tsunami flotsam and jetsam that contains a diary.
The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
More of the theme of community upheaval is the focus of Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart with an Irish town facing trouble as the economic crisis takes hold.
Almost English by Charlotte Mendelsen
Hungarian Londoners struggle to fit into their English lives as their differences and past conspire to leave them short of the dream life they’ve striven for.
The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín
A mother fights to dredge up the truth about the brutal death of her son.
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
Communist fervor separates two brothers from Calcutta with actions unfurling with repercussions that impacts across the seas and through generations.
Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw
The previous Booker Prize longlist nominee author brings together the disparate lives of seemingly unrelated characters under the strings of his Five Star Billionaire.
Unexploded by Alison MacLeod
A family is torn apart by the battering ram of World War II in 1940 Brighton.
To find out more about who made it through to the next stage of the competition visit our Booker prize 2013 shortlist details page.
