Seven novels make Man Asian Literary Prize’s strongest shortlist

An unprecedented seven novels have been shortlisted for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize. 

2011 Shortlist

• JAMIL AHMAD, Pakistan - The Wandering Falcon (Penguin India/Hamish Hamilton)
• JAHNAVI BARUA, India - Rebirth (Penguin India/Penguin Books)
• RAHUL BHATTACHARYA, India - The Sly Company of People Who Care (Pan Macmillan/Pan Macmillan India/Picador)
• AMITAV GHOSH, India - River of Smoke (John Murray/Penguin India/Hamish Hamilton)
• KYUNG-SOOK SHIN, South Korea - Please Look After Mom (Alfred A. Knopf)
• YAN LIANKE, China - Dream of Ding Village (Grove Atlantic)
• BANANA YOSHIMOTO, Japan - The Lake (Melville House)

Four of the shortlisted novels were originally written in English; the novels from South Korea, China and Japan are all judged in translation.

Speaking of the decision Chair Judge, Razia Iqbal said, “The judges were greatly impressed by the imaginative power of the stories now being written about rapidly changing life in worlds as diverse as the arid borderlands of Pakistan, the crowded cityscape of modern Seoul, and the opium factories of nineteenth century Canton. This power and diversity made it imperative for us to expand the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist beyond the usual five books.”

The two other judges for this year’s Prize are Pulitzer-prize finalist and author of The Surrendered, Chang-rae Lee, and Vikas Swarup, author of Q&A which was filmed as the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire. 

The winner of the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize will be announced on Thursday March 15th 2012 at a black tie dinner in Hong Kong, the home of the Prize.

The full press release is here.