Two Booker nominees, Tan Twan Eng and Jeet Thayil, compete again for the Man Asian Prize. The shortlist was just announced, with the winner to be named March 14. It’s the last round for the Man Group’s sponsorship. Spokesperson Harrison Kelly says “Since October we have been contacted by several Asian-based and global corporations about sponsoring the prize. In fact we are currently in encouraging talks with potential partners.”
Last year’s winner, Kyung-sook Shin’s PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOM, is said to have sold 2 million copies worldwide. Here are the candidates; Farooqi’s is the one not published yet in a US edition. (It was published by David Davidar’s Aleph Book Company.):
Between Clay and Dust, by Musharraf Ali Farooqi (Pakistan)
The Briefcase, by Hiromi Kawakami (Japan)
Silent House, by Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)
The Garden of Evening Mists, by Tan Twan Eng (Malaysia)
Narcopolis, by Jeet Thayil (India)