‘Two best friends share an aversion to “the human shackles” of motherhood, only to discover that life has other plans. Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel, translated by Rosalind Harvey With flashes of fable, his novel tells a story specific and universal: how flammable are fear and the distrust of others.’ Perumal Murugan is a great anatomist of power and, in particular, of the deep, deforming rot of caste hatred and violence. ‘An intercaste couple elopes, setting in motion a story of terrifying foreboding. Pyre by Perumal Murugan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan While We Were Dreaming skillfully captures the sense of what happens when the certainties of the grown-up world evaporate and the future is up for grabs.’ ‘As walls fall and political systems collapse, a group of youngsters in Leipzig are pitched into a world of partying, violence, drugs and techno music. While We Were Dreaming by Clemens Meyer, translated by Katy Derbyshire The slow rhythm of the sentences creates tension as much as the situation itself.’ It is a very scary book, rooted in the traditions of horror. ‘This impressive and fascinating book reconciles two primal feelings: empathy and dread. The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier, translated by Daniel Levin Becker ‘The escapades of Kurkov’s loveable eccentrics provide a frame for an intriguing portrait of Lviv in the 2000s, a melancholy borderland city that finds itself recalling a troubled past as it sits on the cusp of an uncertain future.’ Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Reuben Woolley
‘This novel provides a very fine and cruel understanding of family relationships: the violence of the mother-daughter dynamic the impossibility of getting to know each other within the same family family life as a prison of secrets and silence.’
Is Mother Dead by Vigdis Hjorth, translated by Charlotte Barslund It asks the question: what is our place in 20th century history, when that history seems to be constantly shifting?’ ‘A wide-ranging, thought-provoking, macabre and humorous novel about nationality, identity and ageing, and about the healing and destructive power of memory. Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, translated by Angela Rodel Told in a fast-paced style of shifting perspectives, Standing Heavy carries us through the decades to deliver a fresh perspective on France that is critical, funny and human.’ ‘A sharp and satirical take on the legacies of French colonial history and life in Paris today. Standing Heavy by GauZ', translated by Frank Wynne The narration is lively and fluid, and we feel carried away by this story as we do by the fables of our childhood.’ In this book she proves again what a fantastic and gifted storyteller she is. ‘Maryse Condé is one of the greatest Francophone authors and the great voice of the Caribbean. The Gospel According to the New World by Maryse Condé, translated by Richard Philcox Cheon Myeong-Kwan’s vivid characters are foolish but wise, awful but endearing, and always irrepressible.’
‘Whale is a riot of a book – a carnivalesque fairytale that celebrates independence and enterprise, and a picaresque quest through Korea’s landscapes and history. Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan, translated by Chi-Young Kim An incisive story of queer love and motherhood that slices open the dilemmas of exchanging independence for intimacy.’ Eva Baltasar condenses the sensations and experiences of a dozen more ordinary novels into just over one hundred pages of exhilarating prose. ‘Boulder is a sensuous, sexy, intense book. Click on the links to find out more.īoulder by Eva Baltasar, translated by Julia Sanches The 13 books on the longlist are listed below, along with our judges’ comments about each title. The 2023 judges are looking for the best work of international fiction translated into English, selected from entries published in the UK or Ireland between and April 30, 2023.
The International Booker Prize 2023 longlist has been announced!
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