Daily Blog
Tuesday, 20 October 2009 11:10
Written by Berwin Song

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The shortlist for this year’s Man Asian Literary Prize was just announced, with Nanjing-based author Su Tong (pictured) on the list for his book The Boat to Redemption. The USD10,000 prize, sponsored by the Man Group (also behind the Man Booker Prize), is awarded to any Asian novel unpublished in English.

China has represented well in the award’s three-year history, with Jiang Rong’s Wolf Totem taking the inaugural prize in 2007 (and subsequently, receiving an English translation from Howard Goldblatt). This year, Su Tong has some name recognition going for him in the West, thanks mostly to Zhang Yimou, who adapted his 1990 novel Wives and Concubines into the film Raise the Red Lantern.

Among the competition: Jimmy the Terrorist (by Omair Ahmad), Day Scholar (by Siddharth Chowdhury), The Descartes Highlands (by Eric Gamalinda) and Residue (by Nitasha Kaul).

Chairing the judges panel this year is acclaimed Irish author Colm Toibin, who will be in Shanghai in November, en route to Hong Kong to announce the final winner (the award ceremony will take place at the Pennisula Hotel on Nov 16). While Toibin is in China, he’ll be taking the opportunity to promote his latest book, entitled Brooklyn (longlisted for this year’s Booker Prize), which has also been translated in Chinese, thanks to local publishing house Shanghai 99 Readers.

Look out for our interview with Toibin in the upcoming issue of that's Shanghai. He'll be at M on the Bund on Nov 8 at 4pm to read selections from Brooklyn and talk about the book and its Chinese translation (and maybe about the Man Asian Prize as well -- just don't expect him to give away his favorite).

// Colm Toibin at M on the Bund. Nov 8, 4pm. RMB65, (6350 9988)

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