Han Kang Shortlisted for Man Booker Int'l Prize
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Korean writer Han Kang has been shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize for her novel "The Vegetarian".
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The shortlist of six finalists for Britain's most prestigious literary award was announced Thursday, chosen from 13 longlisted last month. It includes the latest work from Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006.
This year's shortlist is the first to feature writers from Angola, Austria, Korea and Turkey, the Booker Prize Foundation said.
"The Vegetarian" tells the story of a woman who shuns meat due to a traumatic experience in her childhood, and who believes she is turning into a tree. Critics acclaimed the novel as "ingenious", "suggestive" and " unforgettable " upon its publication in English last year.
According to the Booker foundation, Deborah Smith, the novel's 28-year-old translator, "only started learning Korean at the age of 21". Han and Smith will each receive 1,000 pounds for making the shortlist.
The finalists also include Chinese author Yan Lianke, a former recipient of the Franz Kafka Prize, and Italian writer Elena Ferrante, who is popular with readers in Britain and the U.S.
The winner will be announced on May 16. The writer and the translator of the winning entry will share the prize of 50,000 pounds equally.
"The Vegetarian" was adapted for the screen with the movie "Vegetarian".