Man Booker shortlist 2015 announced

The shortlist for the 2015 Man Booker prize has been announced. The judges remarked on the variety of writing styles, cultural heritage and literary backgrounds of the writers on the shortlist, which includes new authors alongside established names. Two authors come from the United Kingdom, two from the United States and one apiece from Jamaica and Nigeria. Two of the favourites for the award, former Booker winner Anne Enright and Pulitzer and Orange prize winner Marilynne Robinson, were omitted from the shortlist. The novels explore grim themes including child abuse, self-harm, gang violence, sibling murder and the exploitation of illegal workers.

The 2015 winner will be announced on Tuesday 13 October in a ceremony to be broadcast by the BBC.

The shortlisted titles are:
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Satin Island by Tom McCarthy
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara