Scots novelist Smith among shortlist for prestigious Man Booker Prize
THE Scottish novelist Ali Smith has been shortlisted for the most prestigious prize in fiction, the Man Booker Prize.
Her novel Autumn, published by Hamish Hamilton, has been named in the six-strong list for the annual prize.
Her work joins 4321 by Paul Auster, History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, Elmet by Fiona Mozley and Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders.
Fridlund and Mozley are both shortlisted for the first time, while Hamid and Smith have made the shortlist in previous years.
The shortlist is comprised of two British, one British-Pakistani and three American writers.
This year’s judges are chaired by Baroness Lola Young. “With six unique and intrepid books that collectively push against
Inverness-born author Ali Smith is on the shortlist.
the borders of convention, this year’s shortlist both acknowledges established authors and introduces new voices to the literary stage,” said Baroness Young.
“Playful, sincere, unsettling, fierce: here is a group of novels grown from tradition but also
radical and contemporary.
“The emotional, cultural, political and intellectual range of these books is remarkable, and the ways in which they challenge our thinking is a testament to the power of literature.”
Lincoln In The Bardo is the bookies’ favourite. THE two men vying to lead Scottish Labour have pledged to do more for women in the party.
Conscious of the gender imbalance in the contest, centrist MSP Anas Sarwar and left-winger Richard Leonard both promised to increase female representation.
Mr Sarwar said he would ensure party rules were changed to deliver a “gender-balanced deputy leadership” with two deputies, at least one of whom would always be a woman.
Along with the leader, the deputies would play a key role in party campaigns and sit on the ruling executive committee.
The move would conveniently dilute the power of the existing deputy, the pro-Corbyn MSP Alex Rowley, who is closer to Mr Leonard than Mr Sarwar.