A shortlist for the 2009 Man Asian Literary Prize, as chosen by an international judging panel, was announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The contenders are:
-- Jimmy the Terrorist by Omair Ahmad;
-- Day Scholar by Siddharth Chowdhury;
-- The Descartes Highlands by Eric Gamalinda;
-- Residue by Nitasha Kaul; and
-- The Boat to Redemption by Su Tong.

Judging panel representative Colm Toibin, an Irish novelist, said: “Reading these books was a fascinating experience because of the range of styles and subjects. The variety of ways in which voice and tone were used, the sense of commitment to story, the range in the methods of exploring both self and society, the interest in experimenting and making it new made the time spent judging this prize rewarding and enlightening.”

The winner, who receives US$10,000 and can anticipate wider recognition in the English-reading world, will be announced on November 16 in Hong Kong. The Man Asian Literary Prize was established in 2006 to bring greater attention to Asian writing. Works submitted must be unpublished in English. The prize is jointly administered by representatives of the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The inaugural prize, awarded in 2007, went to Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong, which in 2008 was published in English to great acclaim. Miguel Syjuco’s Illustrado won the 2008 prize and similarly will be published in 2010.

Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival
Hong Kong

(November 5, 2009)


Colm Toibin: 'fascinating experience'.



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