The International Booker Prize has announced its 2024 shortlist, featuring works from six countries and translated from six languages. These books creatively blend the intimate and political aspects in unique ways. Every year, the prize focuses on relevant international novels and short story collections translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. The finalists were selected from the longlist of 13 titles announced in March. 

Finalists

'Not a River' by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott

In "Not a River," the final installment in Selva Almada's trilogy on men, past and present, merges into a grim journey toward unavoidable violence. Two men take Tilo, the son of their friend Eusebio, on a fishing trip along the river where Eusebio lost his life. They visit a closed island community wary of outsiders. As the heat intensifies, so does the tension, leading to a sinister twist determined by the islanders and the river.

Almada's novella delves into rural Argentina's deep-seated prejudices and vendettas.  

'Mater 2-10' by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Josephine Bae Youngjae

Set in 1920s Seoul, "Mater 2-10" narrates the saga of railroad workers and the century-long history of the Korean Peninsula. Originally serialized online, this 467-page book covers Japanese occupation, the division of Korea, and the everyday lives of three generations of a railway worker family.

Hwang Sok-yong's epic is a heartfelt tale about healing, skillfully translated to retain the author's straightforward Korean prose.

'What I'd Rather Not Think About' by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey

In "What I'd Rather Not Think About," Jente Posthuma's protagonist, referred to as Two, reflects on her twin brother One's suicide. Two's narrative explores their complex relationship with dark humor through fragmented thoughts and recurring imagery. The novel powerfully examines the interplay between intimacy and distance, love and loss, relying on subtle, unsaid elements as much as direct storytelling. 

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'Crooked Plow' by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz

"Crooked Plow," set in Bahia's hinterlands, addresses the struggle for land and the exploitation of quilombolas, descendants of escaped Afro-Brazilian enslaved people. The story begins with a life-changing event for siblings Bibiana and Belonísia and follows their divergent paths. It culminates with a spiritual narrative highlighting historical violence against quilombolas.

Itamar Vieira Junior's multi-voiced novel portrays the enduring impact of Brazil's colonial history.

'Kairos' by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann

Jenny Erpenbeck's "Kairos" is set during the final years of the German Democratic Republic. It follows the doomed affair between an aging writer, Hans, and a young woman, Katharina. Their relationship unfolds against socialism's decline and rising Western capitalism. The novel's intensely emotional and historical context might feel overwhelming, but it accurately reflects 20th-century Europe's dislocations. 

'The Details' by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson

"The Details" by Ia Genberg is a reader favorite, resonating widely across literary platforms. This novella opens with a bedridden woman revisiting a past relationship through a book inscribed by an old lover. It moves through the pre-internet 90s and the turn of the millennium, capturing significant moments in the narrator's life. Genberg's keen observation of life's small details, enhanced by Josefsson's translation, offers a profound addition to pandemic-era literature.

Judging Panel and Ceremony Details

Eleanor Wachtel, an eminent Canadian writer and broadcaster, chaired the judging committee. Additionally, the panel boasts highly acclaimed writers like Natalie Diaz, Romesh Gunesekera, Aaron Robertson, and the groundbreaking visual artist William Kentridge.

Wachtel stated that novels transport readers to unfamiliar places and evoke new sensations and memories. She highlighted that the shortlisted works explore vast mental landscapes, intertwining personal lives with historical and political contexts in uniquely original ways.

Wachtel also noted that the shortlist, though hopeful, addresses issues like racism, oppression, global violence, and ecological disaster. International Booker Prize Administrator Fiammetta Rocco added that the books examine divided families and societies, exploring recent and distant pasts to understand the present better.

The ceremony, sponsored by Maison Valentino, will be held at the Turbine Hall in London's Tate Modern on Tuesday, May 21. Highlights, including the winner announcement, will be livestreamed on the Booker Prizes' channels, hosted by Jack Edwards.

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