About the Prize
One writer's achievement in fiction
The Man Booker International Prize recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction.
Worth £60,000, the prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language. The winner is chosen solely at the discretion of the judging panel and there are no submissions from publishers.
Launched in 2005, The Man Booker International Prize has already established itself as a major player in the literary world and has literary excellence as its sole focus.
The Man Booker International Prize is significantly different from the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction in that it highlights one writer's overall contribution to fiction on the world stage. In seeking out literary excellence, the judges consider a writer's body of work rather than a single novel.
Writers from across the globe are eligible for the bi-annual prize, provided their work is available in English. Previous winners include Albanian novelist and poet Ismail Kadaré in 2005, Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe in 2007, Alice Munro in 2009 and Philip Roth in 2011.
"To recognise the work of a great contemporary writer is also to honour the vitality of fiction and its importance to our lives in the 21st century."
Professor Elaine Showalter
Chair of the 2007 Man Booker International Prize
"...the Olympics of literature."
National Post, Toronto
