International Booker Prize 2020 shortlist revealed

The International Booker Prize is a prestigious annual award which is given to the best work of fiction "translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland". The award also celebrates and honours the translator of the book as the award, which is given to a particular book, is equally shared between the author and the translator. Due to the coronavirus crisis which has brought the world to a standstill, this year's International Booker Prize shortlist announcement was made by the judges in an online event. Out of 124 entries a panel of five judges, chaired by Ted Hodgkinson, selected six best books for the shortlist. 'The shortlisted authors hail from six countries and their books examine humanity’s need to understand the world through narrative, either through sharing our own stories, through understanding our histories and origins, or through processing trauma and grief,' reads a statement on their official website.

The winner of the prestigious award will be announced on May 19. Meanwhile, here are the six books shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2020:

(Photo: The Booker Prizes/ Twitter)

Originally written in German, Daniel Kehlmann's 'Tyll' is a retelling of the German myth of Tyll Ulenspiegel during the 30 years’ war in Germany. The story is about the devastations of war and an artist’s undying spirit to live.

(Photo: Riverrun)

Originally written in Japanese, Yoko Ogawa's 'The Memory Police' explores the themes of the power of memory, how it defines us, and loss. Set on an island, the story revolves around its people for whom disappearing things have no meaning. They can either be burned, tossed in the river or given to the memory police-- and soon people forget its existence. So when a young writer gets to know that her editor will be taken away by the memory police, she is desperate to save him. Afterall, who knows what will disappear next.

(Photo: Harvill Secker)

Originally written in Spanish, 'Hurricane Season' is Fernanda Melchor's first book to be translated into English. Set in the village of La Matosa, Mexico, the story begins with the discovery of a woman's death. When a bunch of children playing nearby find a decomposing corpse, rumours start spreading about who killed her and why. It is through various characters' stories that the readers are introduced to a world which is ruled by poverty, violence, gender inequality and prejudices.

(Photo: Fitzcarraldo Editions)

Gabriela Cabezón Cámara's 'The Adventures of China Iron' was originally written in Spanish and later translated into English by Iona Macintyre and Fiona Mackintosh. Inspired by the gaucho culture of Argentina in the 1870s, the book is a retelling of the gaucho epic Martín Fierro. The story follows China, a young woman from a remote gaucho encampment, and her new-friend Liz, from Scotland. When China's husband joins the army, she embarks on a journey through the pampas of Argentina with Liz and together they explore the landscapes, cultures and violence involved in the building of a nation.

(Photo: Charco Press)

Marieke Lucas Rijneveld's debut novel 'The Discomfort of Evening' was originally written in Dutch and is a bestseller in the Netherlands. The story revolves around a devout family and how it breaks down when one of their children dies untimely.

(Photo: Faber & Faber)