Chigozie Obioma makes 2015 Man Booker Prize shortlist

Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma was announced this week as one of the writers shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novel ‘The Fisherman.’ The shortlist, which is made up of six authors, was announced by chair of judges Michael Wood at a press conference at the offices of sponsor Man Group in the United […]

Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma was announced this week as one of the writers shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for his novel ‘The Fisherman.’
The shortlist, which is made up of six authors, was announced by chair of judges Michael Wood at a press conference at the offices of sponsor Man Group in the United Kingdom. This makes Obioma the second Nigerian to be nominated, after Ben Okri. The other five include, Marlon James (Jamaica), Tom McCarthy (UK), Sunjeev Sahota (UK), Anne Tyler (US) and Hanya Yanagihara (US).
There were just two African authors on the long-list this year. Obioma, for ‘The Fishermen,’ and Laila Lalami, for ‘The Moor’s Account.’ Lalami was, however, identified as a United States national by the Prize, although she was born in Morocco. After the announcement of the long-list on 29 July, she objected to being identified as not African. She tweeted a link to The Guardian’s announcement of the prize, and quoted a sentence declaring Obioma the “sole African writer” on the list. She later made this clear in a follow-up tweet: “I am African. It’s an identity I’m often denied, but that I will always insist upon.”
This is the second year that the prize, first awarded in 1969, has been open to writers of any nationality, writing originally in English and published in the UK. Previously, the prize was open only to authors from the UK and Commonwealth, Republic of Ireland and Zimbabwe.
The shortlisted authors each receive £2,500 and a specially bound edition of their book. The winner will receive a further £50,000 and can expect international recognition.
At 28, Chigozie Obioma is the youngest of this year’s shortlisted authors, the same age as 2013 winner Eleanor Catton.
The 2015 winner will be announced on October 13 in London.