The International Booker Prize: A Complete History
The International Booker Prize stands as a pinnacle of recognition in the realm of global literature. Established with the aim of celebrating literary excellence translated into English, this prestigious award has a rich history spanning several decades. From its humble beginnings to its current stature as a global literary institution, the International Booker Prize has consistently honored outstanding works of fiction and their translators. In this comprehensive overview, we delve into the origins of the prize, its evolution over the years, notable winners, and the impact it has had on the literary landscape worldwide.
Origins and Founding
The roots of the International Booker Prize can be traced back to the establishment of its predecessor, the Man Booker International Prize. The Man Booker International Prize was founded in 2004 as a biennial award recognizing a body of work by a living author, available in English translation. This prize aimed to highlight the importance of literary translation and promote international fiction to English-speaking audiences.
The driving force behind the creation of the Man Booker International Prize was the Booker Prize Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to promoting literature and literary excellence. The foundation was established in 2002 by Sir Michael Caine, a prominent literary figure, and his wife, Lady Caine, with the vision of supporting literary initiatives and fostering a love for reading.
The Man Booker International Prize quickly gained recognition within the literary community, attracting attention from publishers, translators, and readers alike. Its biennial format allowed for a thorough selection process, ensuring that only the most deserving works received recognition. However, as the literary landscape continued to evolve and globalization brought about greater interconnectedness, there arose a need for a more frequent celebration of translated literature.
Transition to the International Booker Prize
In response to the changing dynamics of the literary world, the Man Booker International Prize underwent a significant transformation in 2016. The prize was renamed the International Booker Prize, signaling its commitment to recognizing outstanding works of fiction from around the globe on an annual basis.
The decision to shift from a biennial to an annual award reflected the growing importance of translated literature and the need to adapt to the rapidly changing publishing landscape. By increasing the frequency of the prize, the organizers aimed to provide greater visibility to translated works and encourage more publishers to invest in literary translation.
The renaming of the prize from Man Booker International to International Booker also underscored its status as a truly global award, emphasizing its commitment to celebrating literature from diverse cultures and regions. This change was met with enthusiasm from authors, translators, and readers, who saw it as a positive step towards promoting greater cultural exchange and understanding through literature.
Selection Process and Criteria
The selection process for the International Booker Prize is rigorous and comprehensive, ensuring that only the most exceptional works of translated fiction receive recognition. The prize is open to novels or collections of short stories translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
Each year, a panel of expert judges is appointed to assess the submissions and select a shortlist of finalists. The judging panel typically consists of writers, literary critics, translators, and other figures with expertise in international literature. The judges evaluate the submissions based on a range of criteria, including literary merit, originality, stylistic innovation, and the quality of translation.
After the shortlist is announced, the judges deliberate further to select the winner of the International Booker Prize. The winning author and translator receive a cash award, and the translated work gains valuable recognition and exposure to English-speaking readers worldwide.
List of Winners and Notable Works
Since its inception, the International Booker Prize has honored a diverse array of literary voices from around the world. The list of winners reflects the richness and diversity of global literature, spanning different genres, cultures, and languages. Below is a chronological list of winners and notable works that have received the International Booker Prize:
2005 - Ismail Kadare (Albania) for "The
Successor"
2007 - Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) for "Things Fall Apart"
2009 - Alice Munro (Canada) for "Runaway"
2011 - Philip Roth (USA) for "The Humbling"
2013 - Lydia Davis (USA) for "The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis"
2015 - László Krasznahorkai (Hungary) for "The Melancholy of Resistance"
2016 - Han Kang (South Korea) for "The Vegetarian" (Translated by Deborah Smith)
2017 - David Grossman (Israel) for "A Horse Walks Into a Bar" (Translated by Jessica Cohen)
2018 - Olga Tokarczuk (Poland) for "Flights" (Translated by Jennifer Croft)
2019 - Jokha Alharthi (Oman) for "Celestial Bodies" (Translated by Marilyn Booth)
2020 - Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (Netherlands) for "The Discomfort of Evening" (Translated by Michele Hutchison)
2021 - David Diop (France/Senegal) for "At Night All Blood is Black" (Translated by Anna Moschovakis)
2022 - Geetanjali Shree (India) for ‘‘Tomb of Sand ’’ (Translated by Daisy Rockwell)
2023 - Georgi Gospodinov (Bulgaria) for “Time Shelter” (Translated by Angela Rodel)