Israelis Oz, Grossman make first cut for international Booker Prize

Israeli authors Amos Oz and David Grossman are among 13 writers being considered for the Man Booker International Prize, the foundation said Wednesday.

The pair were chosen for the so-called longlist — from an original roster of 126 submissions — by a panel of six judges that includes internationally acclaimed authors, translators, poets and editors.

On April 20, a shortlist of six books that have been translated into English will be announced by the prize foundation, considered among the world’s most prominent literature awards.

The winner will be proclaimed at a London award ceremony on June 14 that will celebrate the top global fiction translated into English.

Oz, 77, was nominated for his novel “Judas,” a coming-of-age love story that grapples with the mortality of Jesus, prejudice and the longing for peace in the budding state of Israel of the late 1950s.

Grossman was recognized for “A Horse Walks Into a Bar,” a tale that follows the life of a pained and broken stand-up comedian.

Joining the Israeli pair on the longlist is Albanian author Ismail Kadare, who was the first winner of the prize in 2005, as well as Chinese author Yan Lianke for his satire, “The Explosion Chronicles.”

In total, 11 different languages are represented in a still European-dominated list that also includes novels from Iceland, China, Albania and Argentina.

The winning author and translator will split the grand prize of £50,000 ($61,000).