The IMPAC Award shortlist was announced last night. The IMPAC sets itself apart with its unique approach. Its massive longlist is compiled by libraries all over the world before being whittled down by judges. This makes for a more egalitarian selection. It’s also got a long lead time. Books up for the current prize (to be named June 11th) were all published in 2007, putting the IMPAC more than a year behind other big literary awards. There’s a distinct upside in this. By now, all the shortlisted books are available in paperback. We’ve also always found the IMPAC interesting for the breadth of books it considers.
This year’s shortlist includes a couple well-known names and has a decidedly more American bent than is typical, with four out of the eight shortlisted writers hailing from the States.
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Díaz in our Year in Reading)
- Ravel by Jean Echenoz (at The Complete Review)
- The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (excerpt, at The Complete Review)
- The Archivist’s Story by Travis Holland (excerpt)
- The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen (in the TLS)
- The Indian Clerk by David Leavitt (Leavitt in our Year in Reading)
- Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (excerpt)
- Man Gone Down by Micheal Thomas (excerpt)
