Librarians Shortlist Eight for IMPAC Lit Prize
One American among UK/European authors whittled from 156 nominees.
Mike Rogers with Barbara Hoffert -- Library Journal, 04/13/2010
- Titles nominated by 163 public library systems representing 123 international cities
- Two first novels included
- Marilynne Robinson’s Home was an LJ Best Book 2008
- Winner announced June 17
Emer Costello, Lord Mayor of Dublin, April 12 announced the eight international authors contending for the 
2010 IMPAC Dublin Literary Awards. The finalists, a combination of British, Irish, European, and a single American author, were shortlisted from a total of 156 novels nominated by 163 public library systems from 123 cities across the globe.
Contending for the prize are:
- The Twin, Gerbrand Bakker (Dutch) in translation, Harvill Secker
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery (Moroccan/French) in translation, Europa Editions, USA, Gallic Press, UK
- In Zodiac Light, Robert Edric (British), Doubleday, UK
- Settlement, Christoph Hein (German) in translation, Metropolitan Books: Holt
- The Believers, Zoë Heller (British), Fig Tree , UK, HarperCollins, USA
- Netherland, Joseph O’Neill (Irish) Fourth Estate, HarperCollins, UK, Pantheon Books, USA
- God’s Own Country, Ross Raisin (British), Viking
- Home, Marilynne Robinson (American), Farrar, USA, HarperCollins, Canada
The list represents a very mixed bag, including two first novels (Bakker’s The Twin and Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, a surprise best seller here). Marilynne Robinson’s Home already has received the Orange Prize (as well as making LJ’s 2008 Best Books list), and Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland was a 2008 Man Booker Prize contender and a Pen/Faulkner award winner.
A five-member panel will name the winner on June 17. A complete list of all nominated titles is available here.
