For those interested in getting a sneak peek at the texts (in a way more interesting way than I could offer), the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is conducting talks with the nominated authors and translators (a found here).
Granted this gets published shortly after I submit it, the next live event will be at 7:30 (pm) today (found here)— this being between Mariana Enríquez and her translator Megan McDowell on The Dangers of Smoking in Bed.
(Fortunately, last week's discussion between Olga Ravn and her translator Martin Aitken on The Employees is still available on the EIBF website).
The shortlisted books, as listed on the IBP website, are as follows:
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop, translated from French by Anna Moschovakis, Pushkin Press
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez, translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell, Granta Books
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut, translated from Spanish by Adrian Nathan West, Pushkin Press
The Employees by Olga Ravn, translated from Danish by Martin Aitken, Lolli Editions
In Memory of Memory by Maria Stepanova, translated from Russian by Sasha Dugdale, Fitzcarraldo Editions
The War of the Poor by Éric Vuillard, translated from French by Mark Polizzotti, Pan Macmillan, Picador
At risk of redundancy, it's worth highlighting the sheer diversity, the radiant heterogeneity of voices and material of this year's list— many of the texts likewise blurring the line of fiction with a variety of other discursive modes (the discoveries of science, memoir, historiography, biography, etc).
I myself intend to sit down with each of these prior to the July 7th announcement of the winner— though intention and poor time management don’t typically see eye to eye.
Featured Image: Booker Prize on YouTube