We're now very close to the day when the field is finally thinned out in the 2012 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Of the fifteen proud steeds who cantered onto the longlist, only six will clear the final fence separating them from the shortlist, ready to gallop for all they're worth over the final furlong, hoping to cross the line with their noses in front. Whether this metaphor has the writers or the translators as jockeys, I'm not quite sure - I'll let you decide :)
Anyway, so far I've managed to get through twelve of the fifteen longlisted titles (including the monstrous Parallel Stories and 1Q84), posted reviews on ten and read several opinions on all of them, so I'm fairly confident in my opinions. Which will in no way match up with those of the real jury, or even those of my fellow shadow panellists...
Today I'll be announcing two shortlists: one made up of the books I think deserve to make the cut; the other composed of the titles I suspect the real judges will opt for. Each of the lists will consist of five of the twelve I've read, plus one of the three I haven't (based mainly on what other people have said about them). So, without further ado...
Tony's Preferred Shortlist
Tony's Predicted Shortlist
As you can see, three of the books appear on both lists, so expect those to be the ones that miss the cut ;) Was I right? Well, we'll soon find out... My next post will have the real shortlist, and (as if that wasn't exciting enough) I'll also be comparing it to the six chosen by our collective Shadow Panel! The finish post is in sight...
