Attention Bangladeshi Authors: The Man Asian Literary Prize
On 25th October the newly instituted 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize Shortlist was announced. Five authors out of a previous long list of 23 made the cut: 1. Soledad's Sister by Filipino author Jose Dalisay Jr. 2. Families at Home by Indian author Reeti Gadekar 3. Wolf Totem by Chinese author Jiang Rong 4. Smile As They Bow by Burmese author Nu Nu Yi 5. Habit of a Foreign Sky by Xu Xi, a native of Hong Kong The winner of the inaugural prize will be announced on Saturday, 10 November, 2007 at a ceremony in Hong Kong. A considerable buzz has been created by the surprise inclusion of Burmese author Nu Nu Yi in the shortlist. The Man Asian Literary Prize is designed to bring Asian authors to the attention of the world literary community, facilitating the publication and translation of Asian literature in and into English and highlighting Asia's developing role in world literature. Bangladeshi authors in English should note that the prize is to be awarded annually for a previously unpublished work of Asian fiction in English, which can also include translations. The Prize was initiated and sponsored by the Hong Kong International Literary Festival Limited and Man Group plc. The festival is a 10-day event that has become Asia's biggest such such event, attracting authors from around the world and thousands of attendees. Man Group sponsors the annual Man Booker Prize and the biennial Man Booker International Prize through the Booker Prize Foundation. The winner will receive USD 10,000 and can look forward to publication and wider recognition in the English-reading world. There is additionally a USD 3,000 award for the translator (if any). The judging panel for the 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize is Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada (Chair); André Aciman, New York-based author and scholar, and Nicholas Jose, writer, scholar and former Cultural Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in China. Ms. Clarkson, the Chair, said that "The diverse and outstanding finalists for the Man Asian Literary Prize are a revelation of fiction today in Asia. With an entrancing psychic geography, they challenge readers to an exhilarating discovery of ethical and imaginary worlds." Full details are online at http://www.manasianliteraryprize.org Excerpted from press releases sent to the Literature Page, The Daily Star.
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