Indian origin author Avni Doshi makes it to Booker Prize 2020 shortlist

The Booker Prize 2020 shortlist of six books was announced on September 15 by Chair of Judges- Margaret Busby in an online press conference. The Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious awards given for best fiction written in English by an author of any nationality; the book should be published in the last year in the UK or Ireland. This year, a shortlist of six best books was selected by a panel of five judges including-- Margaret Busby (Chair); author Lee Child; author-critic Sameer Rahim; writer-broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist-translator Emily Wilson. Talking about the shortlist, Busby said in a statement, "As judges we read 162 books, many of them conveying important, sometimes uncannily similar and prescient messages. The best novels often prepare our societies for valuable conversations, and not just about the inequities and dilemmas of the world − whether in connection with climate change, forgotten communities, old age, racism, or revolution when necessary − but also about how magnificent the interior life of the mind, imagination and spirit is, in spite of circumstance. The shortlist of six came together unexpectedly, voices and characters resonating with us all even when very different. We are delighted to help disseminate these chronicles of creative humanity to a global audience."

Meanwhile, commenting on the shortlist, Booker Prize 2019 winner Bernadine Evaristo tweeted, "It's all about who's in the room & the value they place on different kinds of literature. If you're looking for fresh perspectives & narratives, surely you're going to find it among the most underrepresented voices? So excited by this groundbreaking shortlist for the 21st century."

The 2020 Booker Prize winner will be announced on November 17. Each shortlisted author will receive £2,500 and a special bound edition of their book, while the winner will receive a further £50,000, according to the statement.

Checkout the six books shortlisted for Booker Prize 2020 here:

This book shows the psychological strain one faces as a woman in Zimbabwe. The book is the third in the series and in this we follow Tambudzai as she quits her stagnant job hoping for better prospects but struggles with the difficulties many single women like her have faced. She has to move from the modest youth hostel she lived in to a widow's boarding house and faces a lot of hardship as she tries to put her life in motion.

Like her character, Tsitsi Dangarembga lives in Zimbabwe. She is a filmmaker, playwright, and the director of the Institute of Creative Arts for Progress in Africa Trust as well as an author. She has also won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize.

Photo: thebookerprizes.com

Author Maaza Mengiste from Ethiopia/USA is shortlisted for her book 'The Shadow King'. Set in 1935 Ethiopia during World War 2, 'The Shadow King' gives an insight into the lives of women soldiers of the 20th century. The story follows Hirut, an orphan, as she tries to adjust to her new life as a maid of Kidane, who is an officer in the Emperor's army. On getting a threat from Mussolini’s army, her employer tries to mobilise his men before the Italians invade them. As Ethiopia loses hope, it is Hirut and women like her who contribute to the war by not just tending the injured or ill but by becoming guards thus fighting against facism and for their own freedom.

Photo: thebookerprizes.com

This heart wrenching book shows the love children can have for their parents no matter how broken they are. Set in Glasgow 1981, we follow a poor family. Agnes Bain is left struggling as her husband abandons her and their three children during a difficult economical time for the country. Over time she turns into an alcohol abuser and her children have to make a hard decision on whether they should save themselves or help her. It focuses the most on her son Shuggie who has a secret of his own, but is determined to stand by his mother.

Photo: thebookerprizes.com