I am quite excited to read about the longlist of the 2012 Man Booker Prize. While I haven’t read any of the books (yes, I know – but I am trying to finish writing a book, and prepare for next term’s teaching), several of them sound excellent and I can’t wait to start reading. The nice lady in Waterstones said her vote is for The Unlikely Pilgimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce, so I might start with that one, although I am also quite excited about Skios by Michael Frayn. I am planning to read them all before the winner is announced so that I can actually have an opinion! Have you read any, and can you recommend them?

The chair of judges, Sir Peter Stothard (Editor of the TLS), says on the Booker website:

“Goodness, madness and bewildering urban change are among the themes of this year’s longlist. In an extraordinary year for fiction the ‘Man Booker Dozen’ proves the grip that the novel has on our world. We did not set out to reject the old guard but, after a year of sustained critical argument by a demanding panel of judges, the new has come powering through.”

This is the longlist. The shortlist will be announced on September 11th and the winner on october 16th 2012.

Nicola Barker, The Yips (Fourth Estate)
Ned Beauman, The Teleportation Accident (Sceptre)
André Brink, Philida (Harvill Secker)
Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists (Myrmidon Books)
Michael Frayn, Skios (Faber & Faber)
Rachel Joyce, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Doubleday)
Deborah Levy, Swimming Home (And Other Stories)
Hilary Mantel, Bring up the Bodies (Fourth Estate)
Alison Moore, The Lighthouse (Salt)
Will Self, Umbrella (Bloomsbury)
Jeet Thayil, Narcopolis (Faber & Faber)
Sam Thompson, Communion Town (Fourth Estate)