FIVE NZ WRITERS ON IMPAC LONGLIST
With a long list of almsot 140 titles I guess being longlisted isn't all that big a deal for the authors concerned, and as Lloyd Jones commented to me by e-mail "it's more a question who isn't on the list."
The real interest will be when the shortlist is announced on April 2 next year, with the winner to be announced on June 12.
Even so it is nice to see five NZ writers make the longlist - in addition to Lloyd Jones other Kiwi writers included are Stephanie Johnson, C.K.Stead, Damien Wilkins and Paul Shannon. The books are nominated by public libraries from around the world.
Last year it was won by Per Petterson for "On Stealing Horses."
The following information is from the IMPAC website:
What is the prize fund?
A: The prize is €100,000 which is awarded to the author if the book is written in English. If the winning book is in English translation, the author receives €75,000 and the translator, €25,000. The winner also receives a trophy which is sponsored by Waterford Crystal.
Q: Who are the sponsors?
A: The originating sponsor is Dublin Corporation, the municipal government of Dublin City, Capital City of Ireland. The private sector sponsoring partner is the company, IMPAC, which has an interest in Ireland through the ancestry of its chairman James B. Irwin Snr., and the location in Dublin of its European Headquarters. IMPAC (Improved Management Productivity and Control) is involved in 'productivity improvement' and operates in many countries around the world. The Award trophy is sponsored by Waterford Crystal
Q: Previous winners of the Award?
A:
2006
The Master by Colm Tóibín
2005
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
2004
This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun(translated from the French by Linda Coverdale)
2003
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk(translated from the Turkish by Orhan Pamuk)
2002
Atomised (or The Elementary Particles) by Michel Houellebecq (translated from the French by Frank Wynne)
2001
No Great Mischief by Alastair MacLeod
2000
Wide Open by Nicola Barker
1999
Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller
1998
The Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller (translated from the German by Michael Hofmann)
1997
A Heart So White by Javier Marías(translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa)
1996
Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
2006
The Master by Colm Tóibín
2005
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
2004
This Blinding Absence of Light by Tahar Ben Jelloun(translated from the French by Linda Coverdale)
2003
My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk(translated from the Turkish by Orhan Pamuk)
2002
Atomised (or The Elementary Particles) by Michel Houellebecq (translated from the French by Frank Wynne)
2001
No Great Mischief by Alastair MacLeod
2000
Wide Open by Nicola Barker
1999
Ingenious Pain by Andrew Miller
1998
The Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller (translated from the German by Michael Hofmann)
1997
A Heart So White by Javier Marías(translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa)
1996
Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
Q: Where can the organisers of the Award be contacted?
A: Literary Award Office, Dublin City Library & Archive, 138 - 144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. Tel: +353 1 674 4802 Fax: +353 1 674 4879
Website: http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/
This book is one of my new favorites: a beautifully written, heartbreaking story of real people. Strongly recommended not only for its historical accuracy and unique viewpoint on a period about which much ground has been covered again and again ... but for the power of its characters and its sweet, compelling voice.
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