The 12-book longlist, chosen by a five-member jury, was selected from a total of 145 titles, 11 of which were called in by the judges.
“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,” Times Literary Supplement editor Sir Peter Stothard said as the longlist was announced in London after long deliberations with fellow judges.
The longlist includes Booker Prize winner Hilary Mantel, who won the award for her book Wolf Hall in 2009. This time, she has been nominated for Bring Up the Bodies, the critically-acclaimed sequel to Wolf Hall. Thayil’s debut novel is about opium dens and heroin addiction in Mumbai.
Malaysian writer Tan Twan Eng, who was longlisted for his debut novel The Gift of Rain, has again been nominated for his novel The Garden of Evening Mists. South African writer André Brink, who is 77 years old, has been nominated for his novel Philida.
The longlist, which varies between 12 and 13 books, this year includes four debut novels. This year the rest of the nine authors are all British. The shortlist will be announced on September 11 and the winner of the £50,000 prize will be announced on October 16 in London. The six shortlisted writers get £2,500 and a handbound edition of their book.