Kamila Shamsie and Mohsin Hamid nominated for 2017 Booker Prize
The winners of this years award will be announced in October. Photo:peabodylibrary
(Web Desk) – Mohsin Hamid and Kamila Shamsie, two British-Pakistani authors have been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for 2017.
We could not be more thrilled to share that Mohsin Hamid s EXIT WEST & @kamilashamsie s HOME FIRE are longlisted for the #ManBooker2017! pic.twitter.com/tyD7UsysmK
— Riverhead Books (@riverheadbooks) July 26, 2017
Hamid’s Exit West and Shamsie’s Home Fire is among the 13 long-listed books selected by a panel of 5 prestigious judges ranging from literary critic, novelists, artist and travel writers. The winner of the Man Booker Prize will be awarded a prize worth 50,000 British Pounds.
Mohsin Hamid was previously nominated for his critically acclaimed novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist. He joins in four previously short-listed writers including Arundhati Roy. Roy’s novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, is among the list. She previously won a Booker Prize in 1997 for her debut novel, The God of Small Things.
Luke Ellis, CEO of Man Group in a statement, stated: “Congratulations to all the authors who have been longlisted for this year’s Man Booker Prize. The longlist recognises the hard work and creativity of thought of these exceptional writers, and inclusion is an important achievement. As ever, we are very proud to support the Man Booker Prize and the valuable role it plays in promoting literary excellence and endeavour.”
We are pleased to announce our #ManBooker2017 longlist! Watch what our judges had to say… https://t.co/SbiuUQYPcY #FinestFiction pic.twitter.com/zc31yYheef
— Man Booker Prize (@ManBookerPrize) July 26, 2017
Chair of the 2017 judges, Baroness Lola Young, had said: “Only when we’d finally selected our 13 novels did we fully realise the huge energy, imagination and variety in them as a group. The longlist showcases a diverse spectrum — not only of voices and literary styles but of protagonists too, in their culture, age and gender. Nevertheless, we found there was a spirit common to all these novels: though their subject matter might be turbulent, their power and range were life-affirming – a tonic for our times.”
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid’s novel deals with a love story of a young couple in an unnamed Middle Eastern country on the brink of civil war. As the conflict in that region forces them flee but with a risk of a dangerous exit. Andrew Motion’s Guardian review said: “A major part of Hamid’s achievement in Exit West is to show how profoundly social damage will injure private lives – not only in obvious ways (physical injury, homelessness), but by hampering the ability to construct any sort of life outside their sphere of influence.”
Author Mohsin Hamid nominated for his latest novel, Exit West. Photo:David Levenson / Getty Images
Kamila Shamie’s Home Fire opens in a Heathrow interrogation suite, as the protagonist heads for the US to resume her studies after they were interrupted by her mother’s death.
Kamila Shamsie author of Home Fire. Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for DIAGEO
This year’s list of authors has a ratio of seven men and six women. The winners will be announced on October 17 after a short listing of six-strong contenders.
Book Stack of the longlist contenders for The Man Booker Prize. Photo: The Man Booker Prize.
