Press Release
Hachette UK title shortlisted for celebrated literary award02/04/2009
The shortlist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, one of the world’s most valuable literary prizes for a single work of fiction published in English, has been announced, with Roy Jacobsen's The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles, published by John Murray, included on the list.
First awarded in 1996, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the most wide ranging international prize of its kind and is unique in that nominations are made by libraries in capital and major cities throughout the world.
The award is open to books written in any language and are nominated on the basis of 'high literary merit' as determined by the nominating library.
The shortlist of eight titles was taken from a total of 146 novels nominated by 157 public library systems in 117 cities worldwide.
The award carries a €100,000 prize which, if the book is written in English is awarded to the author and if in English translation, the author receives €75,000 and the translator, €25,000. The winner also receives a trophy sponsored by Waterford Crystal.
The full shortlist is as follows:
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (Dominican/American). Riverhead Books.
- Ravel, Jean Echenoz (French) in translation. The New Press.
- The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid (Pakistani/British). Hamish Hamilton/Harcourt/Doubleday Canada.
- The Archivist’s Story, Travis Holland (American). Dial Press.
- The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles, Roy Jacobsen (Norwegian) in translation. John Murray.
- The Indian Clerk, David Leavitt (American). Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Animal’s People, Indra Sinha (Indian/British). Simon & Schuster.
- Man Gone Down, Micheal Thomas (American). Grove / Atlantic.