IMPAC’s 2009 Shortlist Leans American

April 2, 2009 | 8 books mentioned

The IMPAC Award shortlist was announced last night. The IMPAC sets itself apart with its unique approach. Its massive longlist is compiled by libraries all over the world before being whittled down by judges. This makes for a more egalitarian selection. It’s also got a long lead time. Books up for the current prize (to be named June 11th) were all published in 2007, putting the IMPAC more than a year behind other big literary awards. There’s a distinct upside in this. By now, all the shortlisted books are available in paperback. We’ve also always found the IMPAC interesting for the breadth of books it considers.

This year’s shortlist includes a couple well-known names and has a decidedly more American bent than is typical, with four out of the eight shortlisted writers hailing from the States.

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created The Millions and is its publisher. He and his family live in New Jersey.