The Man Booker International Prize celebrates translated fiction at its finest. Now an annual prize awarded to a single novel or collection of short stories, it can truly highlight the best of translated fiction from around the world. Both the writer and the translator will be rewarded equally for their contribution, showcasing the crucial role they each play in the finished book.
The full shortlist of six titles can be found here, but in this series of articles we will look at each title in detail.
The Four Books
In the ninety-ninth district of a sprawling labour camp, the Author, Musician, Scholar, Theologian and Technician are undergoing Re-education, to restore their revolutionary zeal and credentials. In charge of this process is the Child, who delights in draconian rules, monitoring behaviour and confiscating treasured books. But when bad weather arrives, followed by the ‘three bitter years’ of The Great Famine, the intellectuals are abandoned by the regime and left on their own to survive. The Four Books tells the story of one of China’s most controversial periods. It shows us the power of camaraderie, love and faith against oppression and the darkest odds.
Have you read The Four Books? You can leave a review or add the book to your group’s reading list.
Want to know more? Download our reading notes for The Four Books, including information about the author and translator, as well as some discussion questions about the book.
Want ideas on what to read next? We’ve created a supporting booklist with suggestions of other books that have links to the themes of The Four Books, including Chinese culture, famine, dictatorships and dystopian societies.
A word from Portobello Library Reading Group
“Portobello Library serves the community of Portobello in East Edinburgh. Portobello is very much a literary community, which runs its own highly successful Book Festival, now in its seventh year. Our group’s mailing list is 24 strong, although generally around 10-14 attend regularly.
The library book group has been in existence for over ten years with some members attending from the very start. The group has read and discussed a broad range of literature. Genre fiction, poetry, non-fiction and classics have all been the subject of lively debate and analysis. Group members are passionate about books and reading and are frequent attendees at the Edinburgh libraries ‘Edinburgh Reads’ author events and activities. The group has also shadowed the Man Booker shortlist in the past and members are, once again, excited to be given the opportunity to review a book that has been selected as being the best of its kind."
Get involved
Join in the conversation on Twitter using #MBI2016 and #TheFourBooks, you can also follow publisher Chatto & Windus on Twitter.
Keep up with all the latest news on the Man Booker International Prize website, and on Instagram.
