Six countries, two debuts, and the tidy work of some translators: it’s time to turn eyes to the International Booker Prize (née Man Booker) shortlist, recognizing exceptional works published in the UK and Ireland in a language other than English.

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This judges this year are: French-Moroccan novelist, Leïla Slimani, translator Uilleam Blacker, Malaysian novelist Tan Twan Eng, your favorite sharp-penned New Yorker critic Parul Sehgal, and the Financial Times’ Frederick Studemann.

The shortlist:

Guadalupe Nettel, Still Born, translated by Rosalind Harvey

GauZ’, Standing Heavy, translated by Frank Wynne

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Georgi Gospodinov, Time Shelter, translated by Angela Rodel

Maryse Condé, The Gospel According to the New World, translated by Richard Philcox

Cheon Myeong-kwan, Whale, translated by Chi-Young Kim

Eva Baltasar, Boulder, translated by Julia Sanches

The winning title will be announced on May 23. Stay tuned!

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Janet Manley

Janet Manley

Janet Manley is a contributing editor at Literary Hub, and a very serious mind indeed. Get her newsletter here.