Whether you’re new to A Spool of Blue Thread or have read it and would like to explore it more deeply, here is our comprehensive guide.
Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the author of more than 20 novels
Her 20th novel, A Spool of Blue Thread, was shortlisted in 2015 for the Booker Prize and in 2020, Redhead by the Side of the Road was longlisted for the prize. Tyler was also shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2011 for her entire body of work. Her novel, Breathing Lessons, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and lives in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Background
Between 2005 - 2015, the Man Booker International Prize recognised one writer for their achievement in fiction.
Worth £60,000, the prize was awarded every two years to a living author who had published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.
The winner was chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there were no submissions from publishers.
The Man Booker International Prize was different from the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that it highlighted one writer’s overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. In focusing on overall literary excellence, the judges considered a writer’s body of work rather than a single novel.
All nominated books
Anne Tyler’s narrative spools back through three generations of Whitshanks, revealing the events, secrets and unguarded moments that shape a family
Anne Tyler’s funny, joyful and compassionate look into the heart and mind of a man who sometimes finds those around him just out of reach
Features
- Book extract
An extract from A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
- Reading guides
Reading guide: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
- Interview