Those accustomed to complaining about the number of American writers nominated for the Booker prize since the widening of eligibility in 2014 will get a pleasant surprise this year: the sector that leads is Irish writers – and people called Paul. That’s not the only surprise; the judges have chosen to spotlight some little-known debuts in the place of major novels. While it feels reductive to read the longlist in terms of what’s not included, many will have expected to see Zadie Smith’s September novel The Fraud, and Tom Crewe’s acclaimed debut The New Life, among others
The Booker prize 2023 longlist
- A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (Canongate)
- Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry (Faber & Faber)
- Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (Granta Books)
- If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (4th Estate)
- How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney (Harvill Secker)
- This Other Eden by Paul Harding (Hutchinson Heinemann)
- Pearl by Siân Hughes (The Indigo Press)
- All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow (Tinder Press)
- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Oneworld)
- In Ascension by Martin MacInnes (Atlantic Books)
- Western Lane by Chetna Maroo (Picador)
- The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (Hamish Hamilton)
- The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng (Canongate)
Anything stand out for.you? Any recommendations from that list?
Both these sound intriguing:
Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song, scheduled for September, is a chilling study of Ireland becoming a fascist state.
It’s refreshing to see Lynch’s dystopia nominated for a prize often focused on historical fiction, and this is an impressive novel in stylistic as well as political terms, staying close to one woman’s consciousness throughout. Eilish must try to maintain normal family life after her husband is detained by the police for union activity; Lynch is brilliant at capturing people’s disbelief and denial throughout the slow slide into totalitarianism. An urgent, important read.
It’s fantastic, too, to see a slice of science fiction on the list. Scottish author Martin MacInnes is an unusual and groundbreaking writer, and with his third novel he has come into his powers. In Ascension is a tale of cosmic exploration and existential wonder, delving into both intimate family ties and the beginning of life itself, and travelling from the ocean floor to deep space.