Indian-origin author shortlisted for Booker prize

59-year-old Canada-based Mistry, who was born in Mumbai and graduated from Bombay University, is the author of three novels -- 'Such a Long Journey (1991)', 'A Fine Balance (1996)' and Family Matters (2002)' -- each of which has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction.

Mistry's works have been widely praised and his novel 'Such a Long Journey' has won the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Governor General's Award.

'A Fine Balance' won the Commonwealth Writers Prize, the Giller Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and was nominated for Oprah's Book Club Best Novel in 2001.

His another novel 'Family Matters' was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2002, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and won the Canadian Authors' Association Award for Fiction and the Timothy Findley Award (Writers' Trust of Canada).

Of the 13 authors in consideration for the literary award, John Le Carre has asked the judging panel to withdraw his name, but the jury said his name would remain in competition.

Le Carre is believed to be the first writer to ask to be withdrawn from consideration since the Prize was inaugurated in 2005.

The authors were picked from eight countries and there are four women in the list.
The nominations were announced by the chair of judges, Rick Gekoski, today at a media conference held at the University of Sydney.

The other contenders are Juan Goytisolo (Spain), James Kelman (UK), Amin Maalouf (Lebanon), David Malouf (Australia), Dacia Maraini (Italy), Philip Pullman (UK), Marilynne Robinson (US), Philip Roth (US) and Anne Tyler(US).

The Prize winner will be announced at the Sydney Writers' Festival on May 18 and the presentation ceremony will take place in London on June 28.