Arundhati Roy’s latest work of fiction, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness , has made it to the longlist of this year’s Man Booker Prize.
The judges described the book as “a rich and vital book” that “comes from the bowels of India” and has “remarkable scale” and “extraordinary style and intelligence”.
The author’s debut novel, God of Small Things , won the Booker Prize in 1997.
Ms. Roy is joined by four previously shortlisted writers — Ali Smith (2001, Hotel World ; 2005, The Accidental ; and 2014, How to Be Both ); Zadie Smith (2005, On Beauty ), Sebastian Barry (2005, A Long Long Way Down ; 2008, The Secret Scripture ; and longlisted in 2011 for On Canaan’s Side ) and Mohsin Hamid (2007, The Reluctant Fundamentalist ).
“Only when we’d finally selected our 13 novels did we fully realise the huge energy, imagination and variety in them as a group. The longlist showcases a diverse spectrum — not only of voices and literary styles but of protagonists too, in their culture, age and gender. Nevertheless we found there was a spirit common to all these novels: though their subject matter might be turbulent, their power and range were life-affirming — a tonic for our times.
“Together their authors — both recognised and new — explore an array of literary forms and techniques, from those working in a traditional vein to those who aim to move the walls of fiction,” Lola Young, the chair of this year’s judges, said.
Other writers on the list include Emily Fridlund from U.S. ( History of Wolves ), Mike McCormack from Ireland ( Solar Bones ), Jon McGregor from U.K. ( Reservoir 13 ), Fiona Mozley from U.K. ( Elmet ), George Saunders from U.S. ( Lincoln in the Bardo ) Kamila Shamsie from U.K. and Pakistan ( Home Fire ) and Colson Whitehead from U.S. ( The Underground Railroad ).
144 entries
The list, which was drawn up from 144 submissions published in the U.K. between October 1, 2016, and September 30, 2017, was selected by a panel of five judges: Baroness Lola Young, literary critic Lila Azam Zanganeh, Man Booker Prize shortlisted novelist Sarah Hall, artist Tom Phillips and travel writer Colin Thubron. The winner gets a prize of £50,000. A shortlist of six books will be announced on September 13.
