2025 Int'l Booker Short List

[Carol]

The International Booker short list is out and I'm excited to see so many women translators get attention, in addition to the authors and subject novels. I've included the men below.

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booke...

These are the 6 shortlisted books:

A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre
translated from French by Mark Hutchinson (Lolli Editions)

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi (And Other Stories)

Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico translated from Italian by Sophie Hughes (Fitzcarraldo Editions)

Under the Eye of the Big Bird by Hiromi Kawakami
translated from Japanese by Asa Yoneda (Granta Books)

Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix translated from French by Helen Stevenson (HopeRoad)

On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle translated from Danish by Barbara J Haveland (Faber & Faber)

It's a most interesting group of novels. I want to read Perfection and Heart Lamp. Have you read any of them? If not, what are you interested in reading?

[Misty]

I feel out of touch! The only author I've even heard of is Hiromi Kawakami! I read Strange Weather in Tokyo though and really enjoyed it. I have Under the Eye of the Big Bird on my TBR. It sounds delightfully weird.

[Lindsey]

Same, Misty! Some of these titles look interesting.

[GailW]

Me three! I loved Strange Weather in Tokyo.

[Carol]

Same. I generally find that the International Booker brings authors to me that I've not heard of, so I'm not surprised to have this feeling. Maybe I should have heard of Anne Serre before, since she's published 3 other novels, but I can live with that. lol

Look at the pretty covers of Serre's other works: (3 short stories), and

I haven't had success with Kawakami notwithstanding 3 attempts, but I want to try Under the Eye and hope to bring my best self to it.

[Anetq]

I plan to read all of them :)
I got started on the Longlist, but only read Eurotrash and just today Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa (Japanese & about disability - very interesting) but now onto the shortlist!
Being Danish, Solvej Balle has been on my TBR for YEARS - I have read some of her early work, but not On the Calculation of Volume I - I did hear her speak about it last year though, so looking forward to finally getting to it!