More brief thoughts on the International Booker Prize longlisted titles, and which ones I think (or hope) will make it through to the shortlist. Since I wasn’t feeling very well this weekend, I thought I’d save some time by simply making a video of myself talking about each of these books, but completely forgot that takes time as well, plus I look anything but glamorous when I’m recovering from illness. Anyway, here are my thoughts on this latest batch of titles from the longlist, of which I mostly hope that White Nights makes it through to the shortlist.
Veronica Raimo: Lost On Me, transl. Leah Janeczko, Grove Press.
Urszula Honek: White Nights, transl. Kate Webster, MTO Press.
Itamar Vieira Junior: Crooked Plow, transl. Johnny Lorenz, Verso.
Rodrigo Blanco Calderon: Simpatia, transl. Noel Hernandez Gonzalez & Daniel Hahn, Seven Stories Press.
P.S. I apologise for not including any subtitles, I was using the video on my new computer for the first time and didn’t include Closed Captions while filming. Will do better next time!
findingtimetowrite 
I loved listening to your video and I’m adding Lost On Me to my wishlist as it’s the kind of book I enjoy! ☺️
It is certainly a funny, witty read, yet with a core of sadness.
It has a fresh, intriguing voice, so it chimed better with me than some others.
For some reason I cannot cope with video content (most uncool, will never be a Booktuber) but I do hope you’re feeling better, and massively admire your commitment to the IBP longlist!
I also tend to read the transcripts if the videos are long (or else just play them in the background as podcasts). I have to say, I wish I’d picked a better year for being in the IBP Shadow Panel.
Is the longlist not up to snuff?
I can’t believe they left out books (and translations) like The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers’ Guild or The End of August or (see my list of longlist choices in an earlier post) for the okish but not terribly memorable books I’m currently reading.
Seems to be a bit of a theme in prize lists this year. Wonder what that says about critical reading culture. Maybe all the judges are tired…
I’m with you on ‘White Nights’ (and on ‘Simpatía’, too!).
Maybe I should be more mysterious until the shortlist is announced, but we have a saying in Romanian when someone is particularly forthright ‘straight from the axe’.
Well, you’re not the only judge, so there’s nothing wrong with giving your views (I certainly do in my posts!).
Much as you were, I’m most interested in White Nights.
I’m hoping that you’ll recover well from being poorly!
Thanks for doing this Marina Sofia. Trust me, I know how time-consuming a video can be. I appreciate your insights on the books, too. Now I want to read White Nights!
Sadly, the book seems a bit hard to get hold of. I hope it gets shortlisted and then maybe booksellers and distributors will make more of an effort to order it.
I was mostly interested in what you had to say about White Nights and am pleased (because I want to read it too) that it was the one book you see making it to the shortlist. Pity you’re finding the longlist overall so uninspiring though.
Maybe in another year I wouldn’t have found the longlist so average, but in a year that contained some great and memorable translations, it feels unfair!
It’s particularly interesting to hear your thoughts on Lost on Me, especially as it seems to have divide opinion. I get the sense (based on the chatter I’ve seen on blogs and Twitter so far) that some of the books on this year’s longlist are a bit underwhelming. Would you agree with that, or have I just gleaned a skewed view?
I think I picked the wrong year to be part of the Shadow Panel, it certainly feels somewhat underwhelming to me. I think they’re trying perhaps to appeal to a younger, hipper generation (although a lot of the subject matter is fairly grim).
Marina, you’re a natural! It was lovely to see and hear you. The auto-generated captions worked fine for me.
Where did you get your copy of White Nights? I know it may not help me over here in Canada, but that’s the one longlisted book I’m having trouble sourcing. All I can find it ordering from the publisher, but not sure how long the shipping will take.
That’s so kind of you to say! I was not feeling too well on Sunday when I recorded this, but maybe that prevented me from over-gesticulating, which I’m prone to do.
I saw the publisher at an indie press fair and got the book from there. And I’d advise ordering directly, but as you say, the shipping is a lottery at the moment in all parts of the world. Sadly, all the usual retailers seem to say it’s out of stock still (which is nonsense, I bet, since I know the publisher has printed plenty more copies).