The scores are in, the numbers have been crunched, and the shadow IFFP jury has a shortlist. Here it is:
- The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon (tr. the author)
- A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard (tr. Don Bartlett)
- Brief Loves that Live Forever by Andreï Makine (tr. Geoffrey Strachan)
- The Infatuations by Javier Marías (tr. Margaret Jull Costa)
- The Sorrow of Angels by Jón Kalman Stefánsson (tr. Philip Roughton)
- The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke (tr. Jamie Bulloch)
I think we have an interesting list there, with some good books (you can see my reviews by clicking on the links above). Now we on the shadow jury will be re-reading the books we’ve chosen, with a view to selecting our shadow ‘winner’. I’d like to thank my fellow shadowers: Stu, Tony Malone, Jacqui, Tony Messenger, and Bellezza; it’s been a fascinating and highly enjoyable journey, and I look forward to the next stage.
There’s just one more thing: the actual IFFP shortlist, which will be announced tomorrow. Check back here then to see how close (or not!) it is to ours.
This post is part of a series on the 2014 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
7th April 2014 at 11:49 am
Great list. Good to see that you hadd included A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard.
11th April 2014 at 8:08 pm
Your list exactly matches the books I have enjoyed and have waiting on the shelf. The only one missing from mine is Back to Back. I’ll look forward to seeing the shadow jury’s winner.