Han Kang makes Man Booker Prize list

By Kim Ji-soo

Han Kang

Novelist Han Kang is among the nominees for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize.

Han’s “The Vegetarian” is among the 13 books long-listed for the prestigious award. The 13 were chosen from 155 authors from 12 countries by a panel of five judges, ranging from novelists to journalists.

Han’s “The Vegetarian” has been well received overseas, where it has become a New York Times bestseller. It is about a modern-day Korean woman, Yeong-hye, who becomes a vegetarian. The protagonist, however, deals with her family and husband who perceive the change in shock and consider it an aberration. Han’s other novel, “Human Acts,” which is about the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, was published to rave reviews in Britain this year.

On April 14, a shortlist of six nominees will be announced, with the final winner chosen on May 16.

Boyd Tonkin, chair of the judging panel for the annual award, said the long-list reflects not only superb writing but also the sheer diversity of today’s great fiction.