Olga Tokarczuk, Mieko Kawakami, and Jon Fosse are among the finalists for the 2022 International Booker Prize.
The Booker Prize Foundation unveiled the shortlist for the award, given annually to a work of fiction translated into English, Thursday morning.
Polish Nobel Prize winner Tokarczuk and translator Jennifer Croft were named finalists for The Books of Jacob. The pair won the International Booker in 2018 for Flights.
Japanese writer Kawakami made the shortlist for Heaven, translated by Samuel Bett and David Boyd, while Norwegian author Fosse and translator Damion Searls were named finalists for A New Name: Septology VI-VII.
Bora Chung of South Korea and translator Anton Hur were named finalists for Cursed Bunny, as were Argentine author Claudia Piñeiro and translator Frances Riddle for Elena Knows and Indian writer Geetanjali Shree and translator Daisy Rockwell for Tomb of Sand.
Translator Frank Wynne, the chair of the judges, said, “As a jury we have had the pleasure of reading many extraordinary books, and choosing a shortlist from among them has been difficult and sometimes heartbreaking. These six titles from six languages explore the borders and boundaries of human experience, whether haunting and surreal, poignant and tender, or exuberant and capricious.”
The award comes with a cash prize of about $65,000, which is split evenly between the author and translator. The winning book will be announced on May 26.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
