Man Booker Prize 2013 Longlist announced!

'This year's prize judges can breathe out, briefly at least. Faced with scaling a gargantuan mountain of books – a daunting 151 of them – they have reached the first plateau, panting and aching no doubt, and whittled out a longlist for the 2013 prize. The “Man Booker dozen” comprises an eclectic list of 13 novels that will surprise and intrigue in equal measure.

Of the various predictions that have been bandied about as to what might be on the list none have even got close. This year's judges, yet again, have shown themselves to be independent of fashion. Diverse doesn't quite do the longlist justice: seven different countries are represented on it and there is a strong hand of established authors selected (Tash Aw, Jim Crace, Jhumpa Lahiri, Colum McCann, Charlotte Mendelson and Colm Tóibín) mixed with first timers. Only Crace and Tóibín have previously appeared on Man Booker shortlists – Crace with Quarantine (1997) and Tóibín with The Blackwater Lightship (1999) and The Master (2004)'. Man booker Prize website 23rd July 2013

For a full listing of the longlisted titles please visit the official website http://www.themanbookerprize.com/man-booker-prize-2013