Americans aplenty as UK’s Booker Prize goes global

Five U.S.-based writers are on the 13-book longlist for the prestigious fiction award, which will be announced on October 14.

July 23, 2014 05:10 pm | Updated December 17, 2016 04:38 am IST - LONDON

2014 is the first year writers of all nationalities have been eligible for Britain's Booker literary prize, previously open only to authors from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies. File photo

2014 is the first year writers of all nationalities have been eligible for Britain's Booker literary prize, previously open only to authors from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies. File photo

The Americans have arrived in force for Britain’s Booker literary prize.

Five U.S.-based writers are on the 13-book longlist for the prestigious fiction award.

The list, announced on Wednesday, includes Americans Joshua Ferris, Karen Joy Fowler, Siri Hustvedt and Richard Powers, as well as Irish-American writer Joseph O’Neill.

Also on the list are Britain’s Howard Jacobson, Neel Mukherjee, Paul Kingsnorth, David Mitchell, David Nicholls and Ali Smith, Ireland’s Niall Williams and Australia’s Richard Flanagan.

This is the first year writers of all nationalities have been eligible for the Booker, previously open only to authors from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies.

Some British writers fear the change may lead to U.S. dominance of the award.

The winner of the £50,000 ($85,000) prize will be announced on October 14.

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