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Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Colm Tóibín the only Irish novelist to make Man Booker Prize shortlist

Out of a possible three Irish novelists, Tóbín was the only one to make the Man Booker Prize shortlist this year.

COLM TÓIBÍN HAS made it onto this year’s Man Booker Prize shortlist with his book The Testament of Mary.

The announcement was made this morning on the Man Booker Prize Twitter page and through a seven second Vine video.

The longlist included two other Irish authors – Colum McCann’s TransAtlantic and Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart .

It’s Toibín’s third time to feature on a Man Booker Prize shortlist, he also made the cut with The Blackwater Lightship (1999) and The Master (2004).

The shortlist:

  • The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóbín
  • We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
  • The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
  • Harvest by Jim Crace
  • The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
  • A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Three Irish authors make Man Booker Prize longlist>

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21 Comments
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    Mute Fergal Reid
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    Sep 10th 2013, 11:39 AM

    *Only* one, eh? God, we’ll just have to make do.

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    Mute Paul Flynn
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    Sep 10th 2013, 11:32 AM

    G’wan the Colm!

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    Mute Keelan O'neill
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    Sep 10th 2013, 12:14 PM

    Don’t think Terry Pratchett has ever been nominated for this award, criminal really.

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    Mute Patricia Mc Cann
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    Sep 10th 2013, 11:42 AM

    Colm is a fantastic author , love his books black water lightship among my favourites.

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    Mute Joe Dolan
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    Sep 10th 2013, 7:33 PM

    I just read that book. Bloody depressing. The Secret Scripture was a very good but had a terrible ending.

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    Mute Donnagh Murphy
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    Sep 11th 2013, 12:49 AM

    I’m pretty sure the secret scripture was Sebastian Barry?

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    Mute Gráinne Duggan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:02 AM

    You’re right, Donnagh. It was Sebastian Barry.

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    Mute Joe Dolan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:08 AM

    My apologies. I had meant to refer to his book Brooklyn which is a very good even though I didn’t agree with its ending.

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    Mute Stephen Doyle
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    Sep 10th 2013, 12:16 PM

    There are way too many literary awards nowadays. All people seem to care about is this prize or that prize and not about the quality of the books themselves. I’ve read some Booker nominees and to be honest they were average at best. Some are even nominated on first time novels.

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    Mute Nicola Kean
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    Sep 10th 2013, 1:25 PM

    I don’t understand your logic Stephen that people shouldn’t be nominated on their debut novels? That’s like telling an athlete that they can’t be in the running for a gold medal their first time competing at the Olympics. What about people who just get it right first time around?

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    Mute ShatterProofMule
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    Sep 10th 2013, 12:34 PM

    I’ve read the spinning heart. This morning I read half of Translantic. If Tobin’s is better it must be an absolute cracker!!!

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    Mute alan
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    Sep 10th 2013, 2:20 PM

    Either that or proof that incessant networking and self promotion work

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    Mute ShatterProofMule
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    Sep 10th 2013, 5:58 PM

    I’ll read them all and make up my own mind..

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    Mute Brendan Ryan
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    Sep 10th 2013, 2:38 PM

    Donald Ryan ‘s A Spinning Heart is also a fine and insightful read.

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    Mute James Anthony Watson
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    Sep 10th 2013, 12:39 PM

    The man is a credit to his profession, a gifted writer, I am unsure of this, but I think I heard this particular book is very short indeed, and as such I was somewhat surprised it was chosen. Which I suppose, merely indicates they level of talent he holds. Bravo Colm.

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    Mute Gráinne Duggan
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    Sep 11th 2013, 11:01 AM

    It is VERY short, I read it in a couple of hours. But it is an interesting book; the idea is that twenty years after the crucifixion, Mary is being pressurised by people writing the scriptures to portray a positive image of her son, while she is very sceptical about some of the things that happened. It’s an interesting angle on the whole story, and makes you think…

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    Mute Brendan Ryan
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    Sep 10th 2013, 2:35 PM

    In the Movie Swimming Pool is the immortal line about literary awards
    “Awards are like haemorrhoids. Eventually every a***hole gets one”!!!

    No disrespect to Colm Tobín. He is a fine writer. Loved Brooklyn, also The Blackwater Lightship

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    Mute Marie Moynihan
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    Sep 10th 2013, 1:38 PM

    Thrilled to see. ” We need new names ” shortlisted. A wonderful novel by a new women writer.

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    Mute John Buckley
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    Sep 10th 2013, 2:01 PM

    “Blazing” or “Burning”? It must be well quenched by now. That was a fair while ago!

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    Mute Mairead Macconmara
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    Sep 10th 2013, 12:14 PM

    The Heather Burning was my favourite

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    Mute Eanna Brophy
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    Sep 10th 2013, 1:04 PM

    The Heather Blazing

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