Dutch author Jente Posthuma shortlisted for International Booker Prize

Dutch author Jente Posthuma has advanced to the shortlist of nominees for the International Booker Prize. Her book, What I'd Rather Not Think About, is on the list for the prestigious British prize. The international version of the award is handed out to author and translator of the jury's pick for the best book written in another language and then translated into English.

The book, called Waar ik Liever Niet aan Denk in Dutch, was translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey. It is about the bond between a twin brother and sister after the brother ended his life. The book was nominated for the European Union Prize for Literature in 2020.

Dutch publisher Pluim responded to the news, expressing their joy at the nomination and calling it thoroughly deserved. "Jentes' work is intriguing and strong. She has a tone that is completely her own, which is currently inspiring many new writers," according to publicist Mizzi van der Pluijm. I could pick her work out of thousands due to the clarity in which she portrays human ability and inability," she said.

"The tone has something lackadaisical, but her work isn't; on the contrary, that tone shows how much importance she places on the things she writes. Jente does not write much, but every word has meaning, and her books are page-turners," The publicist added. "What I'd Rather Not Think About is a twin sister trying to understand her brother's death, and yet it is not a sad book because of her tone and style."

The winner of the International Booker Prize will receive 50,000 British pounds, equivalent to about 58,350 euros. The prize is then split between the author and the translator. The prize went to Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov last year for his novel, Time Shelter. Dutch novelist Lucas Rijneveld won the prize in 2020 for their book The Discomfort of Evening.

Six other titles are on the shortlist this year. The shortlist was decided by a panel consisting of five jurors, chaired by writer and broadcaster Eleanor Wachtel.

The other nominees include Argentinian author Selva Almada and Annie McDermott for Not a RIver, South Korean writer Hwang Sok-yong's Mater 2-10, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae, and Crooked Plow, written in Portuguese by Brazilian Itamar Vieira Junio and translated by Johnny Lorenz. The other nominees are German writer Jenny Erpenbeck, for Kairos, which was translated by Michael Hofmann, and The Details, written in Swedish by Ia Genberg, with translations by Kira Josefsson.