12 novels up for Man Booker Prize

Twelve novels were nominated in London Wednesday for the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction. The novels were chosen from a list of 145 titles by a panel of judges chaired by Peter Stothard, editor of the Times Literary Supplement. Mentioned on the long list are Nicola Barker's "The Yips," Ned Beauman's "The Teleportation Accident," Andre Brink's "Philida," Tan Twan Eng's "The Garden of Evening Mists," Michael Frayn's "Skios," Rachel Joyce's "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry," Deborah Levy's "Swimming Home and Other Stories," Hilary Mantel's "Bring up the Bodies," Alison Moore's "The Lighthouse," Will Self's "Umbrella," Jeet Thayil's "Narcopolis" and Sam Thompson's "Communion Town." "Goodness, madness and bewildering urban change are among the themes of this year's long list. In an extraordinary year for fiction the 'Man Booker Dozen' proves the grip that the novel has on our world," Stothard said in a statement. "We did not set out to reject the old guard but, after a year of sustained critical argument by a demanding panel of judges, the new has come powering through." The 2012 roster includes four debut novels, three small independent publishers and one previous winner. Of the 12 writers, seven are men and five women; nine are British, one Indian, one South African and one Malaysian. The eldest on the list is Michael Frayn at 78, and the youngest is Ned Beauman at 27. A short list of six authors will be announced Sept. 11. The winner of the 2012 prize will be announced Oct. 16 at a dinner at London's Guildhall.