The shortlist of 8 titles was selected from a total of 156 novels nominated by 163 public library systems in 123 cities worldwide and includes Netherland by Irish author Joseph O’Neill. The International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award is the world’s most prestigious literary prize nominated by public libraries world-wide.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin and Patron of the Award, Cllr. Emer Costello, officially confirmed the titles on this year’s shortlist, nominated by public libraries in Ireland, Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Russia, The Netherlands, South Africa, Brazil, the USA and Canada.
Once again an Irish title has been shortlisted, proof, if it were needed, that Irish contemporary fiction can hold its own on the worldwide stage. John Banville, Sebastian Barry, Ronan Bennett, Michael Collins, Patrick McCabe, Colum McCann and John McGahern have all been shortlisted since 1996. Colm Toibín has been shortlisted twice, and was the winner in 2006 for The Master.
The short listed titles are:
The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (Dutch) in translation. Harvill Secker
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (Moroccan / French) in translation. Europa Editions, USA, Gallic Press, UK
In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric (British) Doubleday, UK
Settlement by Christoph Hein (German) in translation. Metropolitan Books
The Believers by Zoë Heller (British). Fig Tree
Netherland by Joseph O’Neill (Irish) Fourth Estate, HarperCollins, UK, Pantheon Books, USA
God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin (British) Viking
Home by Marilynne Robinson (American) Farrar, Straus & Giroux, USA, HarperCollins, Canada
• This year is the turn of the British, with three authors on the shortlist, Robert Edric, Zoë Heller and Ross Raisin.
• Three of the shortlisted novels are in translation from the original Dutch (The Twin), French (The Elegance of the Hedgehog) and German (Settlement)
• Two of the shortlisted titles are first novels, The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker and God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin.
• The 2010 shortlist is a real mix of books. Some of them are very well known and have already received awards, e.g. Marilynne Robinson received the Orange Prize for Home, Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland was long listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2008; two are first novels, and one, Settlement by Christoph Hein, published in the USA, has not previously been seen in the bookshops in Ireland and so will gain a new audience.
The five member judging panel, chaired by Hon. Eugene R. Sullivan, will select one winner from the short list which will be announced by The Patron of the Award, The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Emer Costello on Thursday June 17th 2010.
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The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is managed by Dublin City Libraries, on behalf of Dublin City Council. It is sponsored by IMPAC, an international management productivity company with its European headquarters in Dublin.
The Award is presented annually with the objective of promoting excellence in world literature. It is open to novels written in any language and by authors of any nationality, provided the work has been published in English or English translation in the specified time period as outlined in the rules and conditions for the year. Nominations are submitted by library systems in major cities throughout the world.
All the novels nominated can be viewed on www.impacdublinaward.ie.
Recent previous winners of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award include:
Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas (2009), De Niro’s Game by Rawi Hage (2008), and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (2007)
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