July 2013 |
Michael Chabon to Judge Folio Prize
Back in March, we wrote about the new literary prize sponsored by the Folio Society in London. Dubbed "The Folio Prize," the award - and its accompanying £40,000 purse - will go each year to the "best English language fiction from around the world."
Today, the Folio Prize announced this year's panel of judges. Michael Chabon, bestselling author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and The Yiddish Policemen's Union, will serve as the sole American voice on the five member panel, which also includes Lavinia Greenlaw, Sarah Hall, Nam Le, and Pankaj Mishra.
Chabon said about the award, "Great literature respects no borders or boundaries, and it's a thrill to be a part of the first literary prize designed to honor that crucial disrespect."
The judges are all members of the invite-only Folio Prize Academy, an exclusive body composed of writers and critics from around the world. The judges are chosen by drawing lots until the panel consisted of no more than three people of the same gender, with three judges from Britain and two from other countries.
The judges will begin with a longlist of 80 books that have received the highest scores from the other members of the Folio Prize Academy. The judges will then select a shortlist of eight titles to be announced in February 2014. The winner will be revealed at a ceremony in London, in March 2014.
