The 2017 Man Booker Literary Prize Awarded to American George Saunders

The prestigious Man Booker literary prize was awarded on Tuesday, October 17, to George Saunders, an American author and humorist, for his first novel titled 'Lincoln in the Bardo.' The novel 'Lincoln in the Bardo' is a blend of reality and fantasy about the life of Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States, in the 19th century at a time when he buries his young son. One of Abraham Lincoln's sons, named Willie, actually died at the age of 11 in the White House in 1862. Thus, 58-year-old Mr. Saunders becomes the second American writer to receive this prestigious British award. Last year, in 2016, Paul Beatty, an African American author, won the prize with his novel 'The Sellout.' In 2014, the award's charter was changed, allowing any writer who publishes a book in English in the UK to be eligible for nomination. In his speech at the award ceremony held in London, George Saunders posed a key question for everyone in this 'strange time': whether people respond to the events around them with 'exclusion and negativity and violence' or 'with faith... and love.' The judging panel praised Mr. Saunders' work for its innovation and style, describing it as 'entirely original' and 'highly impactful.' Mr. Saunders has four collections of short stories, two novellas, and hundreds of articles in newspapers and magazines. Other nominees for the 2017 Man Booker Prize who had to make way for George Saunders included Paul Auster with '4321,' Fiona Mozley with 'Elmet,' Mohsin Hamid with 'Exit West,' Emily Friedland with 'History of Wolves,' and Ali Smith with 'Autumn.' At least one collection of short stories by George Saunders, titled 'A Short and Horrifying Government,' has been published in Iran, translated by Farshad Rezaei by Qoqnoos Publishing. The Man Booker Prize comes with a cash award of £50,000.