Americans Make Man Booker Longlist
The longlist for the Man Booker prize was released Wednesday morning, marking the second year since the prize was expanded to include all novelists who write in English (Americans were previously excluded). Perhaps the most notable inclusion is debut novelist Bill Clegg (pictured), better known as a U.S. literary agent and memoirist. As The Guardian notes, Clegg is famous for “his ruthless negotiating and memoirs recounting his struggles with crack-cocaine and alcohol.†He is nominated this year for “Did You Ever Have A Family,” which has not yet been published (though this nomination will surely add to the book’s buzz). Other authors on this year’s longlist include Anne Enright, the only author on the list who has previously won the prize, nominated for The Green Road; Marilynne Robinson, nominated for Lila; Anne Tyler, nominated for A Spool of Blue Thread; and Marlon James, the first Jamaican author to be nominated, for A Brief History of Seven Killings. The rest of the list is here.
