International Booker Prize: A Quarter of the Finalists Are Latin American Authors

Four out of the 13 authors nominated in the International Booker Prize's longlist are from Latin American countries, signaling a 'second boom' in Latin American fiction, according to judges of the prestigious literary award.

The Latinos that made it into the list are all from South America: Argentine poet Selva Almada, Venezuelan writer Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, Brazilian writer Itamar Vieira Junior, and Peruvian journalist Gabriela Wiener.

The strong presence of South American authors in this prize, which acknowledges the finest novels and short story collections from around the globe, did not go unnoticed to judges.

The official announcement on the Booker Prize website declares that, "The list heralds a second 'boom' in Latin American fiction."

Latin American Literature Boom refers to the wave of fiction works published during the 1960s and 70s. It featured authors such as Gabriel García Márquez from Colombia, Mario Vargas Llosa from Peru, Julio Cortázar from Argentina, and Carlos Fuentes from Mexico.

The announcement follows: "Our judges are far from alone in being impressed by the quality of writing coming from that continent. When asked last year why Ireland has the best writers, after four Irish authors appeared on the Booker Prize 2023 longlist, the eventual winner Paul Lynch said: 'Can I let you into a secret? I think South America has the best writers.'"

The International Booker Prize is awarded each year to a single book of fiction. To be considered, they must have also been translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland.

The final winner receives an award of 50,000 pounds ($63,965 U.S. dolllars), which is divided between the author and the translator. Additionally, each title that enters the shortlist receives a prize of 5,000 pounds. The shortlist will be announced on April 9.

2024 International Booker Prize Nominated

1. Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott
2. Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann
3. The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson
4. Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderon, translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn
5. Lost on Me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko
6. The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky
7. Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz
8. White Nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster
9. Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae
10. Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches
11. A Dictator Calls by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson
12. The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk
13. What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey