The list of 10 finalists was announced Tuesday for the sixth Man Booker International Prize, a biennial prize that celebrates living authors from all over the world whose literary fiction was published in, or translated into English. This year's list included the esteemed Arab authors Ibrahim Al Koni from Libya and Hoda Barakat from Lebanon.
In previous years, the list has been criticized for being very American-centric, and this year's representation of the Middle East – along with three African authors – on the shortlist might be a move away toward a more diverse list of winners.
Announcing the list at the University of Capetown in South Africa, Professor Marina Warner, chair of judges commented that: "The judges have had an exhilarating experience reading for this prize; we have ranged across the world and entered the vision of writers who offer an extraordinary variety of experiences."
Unlike the Man Booker Prize, the International Prize celebrates the body of works of authors and overall contribution to fiction rather that a specific novel.
"Our judges are not confined to any in-group of literary critics, authors and academics, but over the years have included poets, politicians, journalists, broadcasters and actors. This 'common man' approach to the selection of Man Booker juries is, I believe, one of the key reasons why “the intelligent general audience” trusts the prize," Ion Trewin, literary director of the Booker Prize Foundation, commented as he discussed the Man Booker Prize in 2013.
Estimated at almost $90,000, the 2015 Man Booker International Prize winner will be announced at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on 19 May.