2012 International IMPAC Dublin AWARD

The longlist has been posted. These are the nominations by the participating libraries.

http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2012/libraries.htm

Here is the list by author:

http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2012/longlist.htm#O2012

I prefer the former list to the latter, it's more interesting to see what the libraries of some countries nominate.

From my reading of the Impac Dublin award, the prize is often awarded to (besides their inclination towards male and Irish authors) a very well-written, sometimes very artful novel with a universal theme. The number of nominations has nothing to do with how the winner is chosen.

I think I will predict The Piano Cemetery as a winner, or at least on to the short list.

Interesting! Room is sure nominated often.

It's a great list if you want to find some interesting international literature. For example, nearly all the libraries from the Netherlands nominate the same three titles, all authors from the Netherlands who have been recently translated into English.

The list used to be more useful to me prior to discovering LT. For example, I used to look through what the Canadian libraries had nominated, note the multiple nominations, and if the book sounded interesting I'd chase it down. This is how I read the Birth House and The Logogryph. But now, since LT, I usually have heard of most of them before the list comes out (and particularly since I spend my days browsing through various countries' publishers catalogs).

I'm somewhat less enamored of the award these days as it has now been over a decade since a woman has won the award. I have made a point to read the women who have won though.

Just bringing this thread up to the top (above the duplicate thread)

The shortlist has been announced:

Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer
The Matter with Morris by David Bergen
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Memory of Love by Animatta Forna
Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
Landed by Tim Pears
Limassol by Yishai Sarid
The Eternal Son by Cristovão Tezza
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin

The winner will be announced on June 13th.

Press release: http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/news.htm

Both of the two book on this list that I've read were excellent (A Visit from the Goon Squad and Matterhorn) so that makes me want to explore some of the other titles, most of which were unfamiliar to me.

Thanks for posting the shortlist Darryl. Of the two books on it that I have read, I found Limassol interesting. I did not like The Matter with Morris. I think I have posted reviews for both books.... can't remember as it was some time ago that I read them.

Even the Dogs by Jon McGregor is the winner of this year's International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award:

http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2012/winner.htm

I read and reviewed it in 2010, but I was unimpressed by it. It's a curious choice for the award, IMO.

Got it as an Early Reviewer's book from LT. Not super impressed either--or at least with McGregor's ability to carry it off. Thought he was a talented writer though.

Interesting. I loved So Many Ways to Begin, by the same author. I'll have to read it soon.

I am so glad to see Rocks in the Belly made it. It is an impressive book.