I hadn't heard of some shortlisted authors, Man Booker judge admits

The chairman of judges for the Man Booker International Prize has admitted that until recently he had not heard of many of the authors on this year’s shortlist.

Marilynne Robinson, who won the Orange Prize in 2009 for her novel Home, is without doubt the best known of the contenders Photo: CHRISTOPHER PLEDGER

The Telegraph - 25 Jan 2013

Professor Sir Christopher Ricks said many people would find a number of authors on the 10-strong shortlist for the £60,000 prize to be “obscure” - before conceding he was one of them.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, the literary critic said that while book reviewers on newspapers thought of themselves as “terrifically well educated”, when there were “a few writers you’ve never heard of”, they said “Good God they’re obscure”.

But Prof Ricks then candidly added: “Many of the names are people who 18 months ago I’d never heard of.”

The full list of nominees for the prize is as follows: UR Ananthamurthy (India); Aharon Appelfeld (Israel); Lydia Davis (USA); Intizar Husain (Pakistan); Yan Lianke (China); Marie NDiaye (France); Josip Novakovich (Canada); Marilynne Robinson (USA); Vladimir Sorokin (Russia); and Peter Stamm (Switzerland).

Robinson, who won the Orange Prize in 2009 for her novel Home, is without doubt the best known of the contenders. 

More at The Telegraph