On Tuesday, 9 April, the 2024 shortlist for the International Booker Prize was announced. Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae, is on the list. For three consecutive years, Korean literature has been shortlisted for the prize.

‘Hwang Sok-yong’s multi-dimensional epic tale, Mater 2-10, threads together three generations of Korean railroad workers. It is his ninth novel translated into English.

The International Booker Prize 2024 shortlist is:

Not a River, Original language - Spanish, Selva Almada (Argentinian), translator Annie McDermott (British), Charco Press

Kairos, Original language - German, Jenny Erpenbeck (German), translator Michael Hofmann (German), Granta Books

The Details, Original language - Swedish, Ia Genberg (Swedish), translator Kira Josefsson (Swedish), Wildfire Books  

Mater 2-10, Original language - Korean, Hwang Sok-yong (Korean), translator Sora Kim-Russell; Youngjae Josephine Bae (Korean/American; Korean), Scribe Publications UK

What I’d Rather Not Think About, Original language - Dutch, Jente Posthuma (Dutch), translator Sarah Timmer Harvey (Australian), Scribe Publications UK

Crooked Plow, Original language - Portuguese, Itamar Vieira Junior (Brazilian), translator Johnny Lorenz (American), Verso Fiction

Each year the International Booker Prize introduces readers to the best novels and short story collections from around the globe that have been translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. The prize recognises the vital work of translators with the £50,000 prize money divided equally: £25,000 for the author and £25,000 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators). In addition, there is a prize of £5,000 for each of the shortlisted titles: £2,500 for the author and £2,500 for the translator (or divided equally between multiple translators).

The International Booker Prize 2024 ceremony will take place from 7pm BST on Tuesday, 21 May. It is being held for the first time in the Turbine Hall at London’s Tate Modern.

Find out more from the International Booker Prize website: https://thebookerprizes.com/media-centre/press-releases/the-international-booker-prize-2024-shortlist