The Man Booker International Prize 2019 winners

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 3:53pm

Last night at a ceremony in London, the winners of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize were announced.

Congratulations to author Jokha Alharthi and translator Marilyn Booth, who won for the book Celestial Bodies, and who will share equally the £50,000 (approximately $85,000 Canadian) prize.

Celestial Bodies tells the story of three sisters in the Oman village of al-Awafi: Mayya, who marries Abdallah after a heartbreak; Asma, who marries from a sense of duty; and Khawla, who rejects all offers while waiting for her beloved, who has emigrated to Canada. These three women and their families witness Oman evolve from a traditional, slave-owning society slowly redefining itself after the colonial era, to the crossroads of its complex present.

Please note that at the time of this announcement, there is no North American edition of Celestial Bodies available for us to order. However, with the book receiving such a pretigious honour we expect an edition will be available to us soon, so please check with your nearest McNally Robinson in coming weeks.

Categories: Awards, Saskatoon, Winnipeg