The 2022 International Booker Prize shortlist announced

• The six shortlisted works are each translated from a different language and originate from a different country, with three continents represented on the list
• The list is dominated by women writers
• A Hindi title makes the shortlist for the first time
• Whether set in modern day Korea or mid-18th century Poland, the books share an urgent relevance 
   

You can download the press release here.

Wildly original works of literature that will captivate readers, this year’s shortlisted books all explore trauma, whether on an individual or societal level. They include: a genre-defying collection of short stories, blurring the lines between magical realism, horror and science, and addressing the very real horrors and cruelties of patriarchy and capitalism in modern society; a tale of two versions of the same person, whose choices have led to different lives, both grappling with existential questions; an exploration of the life of a young boy subjected to relentless bullying, and his friendship with a similarly outcast female classmate; the investigations of an ailing mother into the death of her daughter, where the hidden facets of authoritarianism and hypocrisy in society are explored; a tale of an elderly woman’s new lease of life following a deep depression after the death of her husband, which sees her travelling to Pakistan and confronting unresolved trauma; and the mid-18th century tale of Polish-Jewish religious leader Jacob Frank, set in multicultural south-eastern Europe, from Lviv to Constantinople.

• Cursed Bunny, written by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur from Korean; published by Honford Star
• A New Name Septology VI-VII, written by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls from Norwegian; published by Fizcarraldo
• Heaven, written by Mieko Kawakami, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd from Japanese; published by Pan Macmillan, Picador
• Elena Knows, written by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle from Spanish; published by Charco Press
• Tomb of Sand, written by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell from Hindi; published by Tilted Axis Press
• The Books of Jacob, written by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft from Polish; published by Fitzcarraldo Editions

The shortlist is again dominated by independent publishers. Tilted Axis and Honford Star are new to the prize.

The shortlist spans six languages: Korean, Norwegian, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi and Polish, with settings ranging across Europe and Asia, from the mid-18th century to modern day.