2013 Man Booker Prize

The 2013 Booker Prize for Fiction was awarded on 15 October 2013 to Eleanor Catton for her novel The Luminaries.[1][2] A longlist of thirteen titles was announced on 23 July, and these were narrowed down to a shortlist of six titles, announced on 10 September. The jury was chaired by Robert Macfarlane, who was joined by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Natalie Haynes, Martha Kearney, and Stuart Kelly. The shortlist contained great geographical and ethnic diversity, with Zimbabwean-born NoViolet Bulawayo, Eleanor Catton of New Zealand, Jim Crace from England, Indian American Jhumpa Lahiri, Canadian-American Ruth Ozeki and Colm Tóibín of Ireland.

Judging panel

On 21 November 2012, it was announced that Robert Macfarlane would chair the panel of judges that would decide the winner of the 2013 award. Macfarlane declared that he felt "very proud indeed to be chairing this prize, which has done so much to shape the modern literary landscape."[3] On 17 December, he was joined by four other judges: biographer and critic Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes, journalist Martha Kearney, and writer, critic and reviewer Stuart Kelly. "Part of the reason the prize is heralded internationally", the announcement read, "is because the judges stand as a guarantee of literary weight and seriousness of intent." The judges' backgrounds – as academics, professional writers and journalists – were emphasized as essential to their role as reviewers.[4] "We are all looking forward to the 10 months, 140 novels and many meetings and conversations that lie ahead of us," Macfarlane said, "as we search for the very best of contemporary fiction."[5]

Nominees (shortlist)

Nominees (longlist)
Author Title Genre(s) Country Publisher
Tash Aw Five Star Billionaire Novel Malaysia Fourth Estate
NoViolet Bulawayo We Need New Names Novel Zimbabwe Chatto & Windus
Eleanor Catton The Luminaries Historical novel New Zealand Granta
Jim Crace Harvest Historical novel United Kingdom Picador
Eve Harris The Marrying of Chani Kaufman Novel United Kingdom Sandstone Press
Richard House The Kills Novel United Kingdom Picador
Jhumpa Lahiri The Lowland Novel United Kingdom/United States Bloomsbury Publishing
Alison MacLeod Unexploded Historical novel United Kingdom Hamish Hamilton
Colum McCann TransAtlantic Historical novel Ireland Bloomsbury Publishing
Charlotte Mendelson Almost English Novel United Kingdom Mantle
Ruth Ozeki A Tale for the Time Being Novel Canada/United States Canongate
Donal Ryan The Spinning Heart Novel Ireland Doubleday
Colm Tóibín The Testament of Mary Historical novella Ireland Viking Press

Winner

On 15 October, the chair of the judges Robert Macfarlane announced that the winner of the 2013 Man Booker Prize was New Zealand author Eleanor Catton for her second novel The Luminaries.[6] By winning, Catton became, at the age of 28, the youngest author ever to win the Booker.[6] She was previously, at the age of 27, the youngest author ever to be shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.[7] At 832 pages, The Luminaries is also the longest work to win the prize in its 45-year history.[6]

Catton is the second writer from New Zealand to win the prize, the first being Keri Hulme in 1985 with The Bone People.[6] The judges' final decision was made after around two hours of discussion.[6] Of The Luminaries, Macfarlane commented "It's a dazzling work. It's a luminous work. It is vast without being sprawling."[6] Catton was presented with the prize by the Duchess of Cornwall at Guildhall in London.[6] As winner, Catton also received award money to the sum of £50,000.[8]

See also

References
  1. Kellogg, Carolyn (October 15, 2013). "Eleanor Catton's 'The Luminaries' wins 2013 Man Booker Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  2. "Youngest star Eleanor Catton joins Booker luminaries". Daily Telegraph. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  3. "Robert Macfarlane to chair the 2013 Man Booker Prize for Fiction". Man Booker Prize. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  4. "Man Booker Prize 2013 judges revealed". Man Booker Prize. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  5. "Martha Kearney among Man Booker Prize judges". BBC News. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  6. Masters, Tim (15 October 2013). "Man Booker Prize: Eleanor Catton becomes youngest winner with The Luminaries". BBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  7. Morris, Linda (11 September 2013). "Eleanor Catton youngest author ever shortlisted for Booker". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  8. Bosman, Julie (15 October 2013). "At 28, Writer Is Youngest to Receive Booker Prize". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
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