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These are the 13 longlisted books:
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Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro translated by Frances Riddle (Charco Press), Argentina
Paradais by Fernanda Melchor translated by Sophie Hughes (Fitzcarraldo Editions), Mexico
Heaven by Mieko Kawakami translated by Sam Bett, David Boyd (Picador), Japan
Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park translated by Anton Hur (Tilted Axis), South Korea
Happy Stories, Mostly by Norman Ericson Pasaribu translated by Tiffany Tsao (Tilted Axis), Indonesia
The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman translated by Leslie Camhi (Scribner), France
More Than I Love my Life by David Grossman translated by Jessica Cohen (Jonathan Cape), Israel
After the Sun by Jonas Eika translated by Sherilyn Hellberg (Lolli Editions), Denmark
Phenotypes by Paulo Scott translated by Daniel Hahn (And Other Stories), Brazil
A New Name: Septology Vi-VII by Jon Fosse translated by Damion Searls (Fitzcarraldo Editions), Norway
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree translated by Daisy Rockwell (Tilted Axis), India
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Jennifer Croft (Fitzcarraldo Editions), Poland
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung translated by Anton Hur (Honford Star), South Korea

I have read 5 so far and am delighted to see Tokarczuk and Fosse. The other 3 were Cursed Bunny and Happy Stories Mostly which are both deserving too, and After the Sun, which I liked less,

I've wanted to read Cursed Bunny and Elena Knows for some time. I am not sure if I am happy Tokarczuk is longlisted. I have the novel but I am reluctant to start it. Also, it seems I will have to revisit Fosse.

I have read 6 of these. I am really not sure what I will do about the other 7. I may wait for the shortlist and pick up any I haven’t read at that stage. Or maybe I will hear what people say here about the books and pick a few more to read from the longlist.

I know I shouldn’t say this here, but I have rather gone off the idea of book prizes recently. Perhaps some of the books here will restore my enthusiasm.

Official video:

Sorry - the first version of the list I saw was missing After the Sun, which I have also read!

It’s a pretty good day for small presses.

3 x Tilted Axis
3 x Fitzcarraldo
1 x Lolli
1 x & Other Stories
1 x Charco
1 x Honford Star
1 Virago (Hachette)
1 x Jonathan Cape (PRH)
1 x Picador (Pan Macmillan)

I think

No Peirene and no MacLehose!

Country wise

2 x Korea (with the same translator)
1 x Japan
1 x Indonesia

1 x India

1 x Mexico
1 x Argentina
1 x Brazil

1 x France
1 x Norway
1 x Denmark
1 x Poland
1 x Israel

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "I think I posted this to the closed thread but interesting that the two lowest ranked books on the forum's RoC rankings both made this list"
After the Sun is bottom of both lists but Happy Stories is in the top half of both tables

Lack of sleep. I will delete

Delighted for Tilted Axis. Although I don't always love their stuff, I do love their project and they've missed out in the past I believe?

Yes Tilted Axis have never made the list before - despite being founded in part using the prize money from the first year.

First time on the Republic of Consciousness Prize list this year as well.

Have to say I think this is a brilliant list. The 9 I've read are all highly worth their place, even if one in particular was NSFP.

And the other 4 look great.

Just disappointed Bolla didn't make it, and that Nostalgia wasn't allowed to be entered. But otherwise Frank & co did a wonderful job.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Country wise

2 x Korea (with the same translator)
1 x Japan
1 x Indonesia

1 x India

1 x Mexico
1 x Argentina
1 x Brazil

1 x France
1 x Norway
1 x Denmark
1 x Poland
1 x Israel"

I am sure there is someone on this forum who is a big fan of Korean books and will be very pleased .... oh it's me!

I am surprised and in a way a little disappointed that Fitzcarraldo not naming translators on the cover has been punished by only including 3 of their books.

They do often bring out versions for sales in shops with the MBI logo - so please please if they do, list the translator's name on the cover.

I agree with Paul, this looks like a very strong list. I’m equally disappointed Bolla and Nostalgia didn’t make it (Bolla I loved and a copy of Nostalgia is waiting for me in the bookshelf) but the otherwise promising list (including Tokarczuk – this is where I disagree with Paul) makes up for that. Seems like a well curated list.

I hope some copies will be available in Oxford bookstores (I assume Oxford has several bookshops – never been there before), but we’ll see, I wouldn’t be surprised if e.g. Tilted Axis titles were sold out by next week. Or maybe I exaggerate the popularity of the prize. In any case, I can start with electronic copies before the trip.

Paul they were not I think founded by the IB money it’s an urban myth as the founder has pointed out several times and I think i have posted here before. It was founded with Arts Council money I think before the prize win.

This does seem like the sort of list that should be picked by a major prize - ie books that well read readers are expecting/hoping for and many have already read plus a few (but only a few) surprise inclusions and omissions.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "This does seem like the sort of list that should be picked by a major prize - ie books that well read readers are expecting/hoping for and many have already read plus a few (but only a few) surpris..."

Are you per chance contrasting to another prize.

Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer wrote: "Paul they were not I think founded by the IB money it’s an urban myth as the founder has pointed out several times and I think i have posted here before. It was founded with Arts Council money I th..."

True but urban myths are more interesting

I am not going to lie, I am kinda disappointed by the list, it is a strong list indeed, and love the inclusion of many Queer and LGBTQ+ stories, but it is untranslatable to Arabic, as a queer person from north Africa, I would not enjoy these books (and other extraordinary book) in my native language which is Arabic

So Nostalgia was excluded as Penguin Classics do not publish contemporary fiction as I understand it.

Well we don't know. The person who tried to enter thought it was because of a rule about not being published elsewhere in English more than x years ago, but that rule doesn't exist for the International version.

So Tony's deduction was the imprint was ineligible and the PRH thinks perhaps that was it.

Mohamed wrote: "I am not going to lie, I am kinda disappointed by the list, it is a strong list indeed, and love the inclusion of many Queer and LGBTQ+ stories, but it is untranslatable to Arabic, as a queer perso..."

To check that Mohamed - is that because they won't be translated for cultural reasons, so you won't ever see them in Arabic?

NB with Frank chairing, Queer and LGBTQ+ stories was always going to be (rightly) a bit theme.

Turns out I have read 10. Only 3 to read albeit as I will order direct will take me a while to start on them (and one is 736 pages)

I guess I'll finally have to crack the spines of the three Fosses. And finish Tockarczuk. Otherwise there seem some interesting ones. I'll definitely read Cursed Bunny and possibly Elena Knows and Happy Stories, Mostly. I see those are all already ranking highly!

I'll be avoiding Paradais like the plague, but I'd already decided to do that.

Paul wrote: "Mohamed wrote: "I am not going to lie, I am kinda disappointed by the list, it is a strong list indeed, and love the inclusion of many Queer and LGBTQ+ stories, but it is untranslatable to Arabic, ..."

Not cultural reasons as much as censorship. LGBTQ and Queer culture is rooted in the Arabic culture, but the homophobia is widely spread especially in the Middle East .
imagine when they translated shuggie bain into Arabic they deleted chapter 31and merged chapter 30 and 32 in one chapter, which means almost 40 pages were deleted .luckily I read it in English

While I did not wake up early for the reveal of this longlist (one per week is enough for me), I am up now and making my way through the list and the reactions to it. This is a prize that I have only started paying attention to in the past few years, and specifically because of this group.

I have read two (I've been a fan of Grossman's for a very long time and read The Books of Jacob because I had never read her before and figured I might as well start there). Paradais is being published in the US in late April. Three others (Happy Stories, Mostly, Tomb of Sand and Cursed Bunny) are not out here and don't have US publication dates. That leaves seven for me to sort through. The Book of Mother is sitting in the "new fiction" area of the library where I work, so that is likely where I will begin.

I have ordered another six, but it may take a while to get round to finishing them as I have a few Women's prize books to read and a few group discussions in other places to juggle too. I did rule Grossman and Huisman out on price grounds (at least for now).

This is a great list although my personal favorite didn’t make the cut. I’ve finished five and am in progress with a sixth. I’m not sure I can finish seven before the shortlist announcement - I haven’t started Fosse yet.

I thought only in the last two days you said you wanted Bolla and 12 completely obscure books ??

This does seem to be the opposite.

I think the admin is all done now. I have definitely upset GR/Amazon's anti-bot algorithm today - it is now throwing full captchas at me (how do you define a mountain?) every time I edit a review, so I won't tackle this week's review backlog yet.

So glad to see Jacob, Elena and Phenotypes. Not agreeing with Love in the Big City - a rather amateurish effort reminiscent of early Bret Easton Ellis - or More Than I Love My Life. I'm a huge fan of Grossman whose prose is usually compulsively readable. The back story is extremely fascinating but the novel is a slog.

Scott wrote: "So glad to see Jacob, Elena and Phenotypes. Not agreeing with Love in the Big City - a rather amateurish effort reminiscent of early Bret Easton Ellis - or More Than I Love My Life. I'm a huge fan ..."

I agree that More Than I Love My Life was disappointing, but I'm glad to see him on this list anyway, just because I like him so much.

no idea where to start, so it must be a great list :-)

I was quite happy with this list - one of those where I had 7 on my TBR or had read last year - I just ordered the three titled Axis, Grossman, Scott and Huisman from my local indie.

Had early appointment so just getting to the list. I’ve read 3, have 2 in hand, and expect to obtain a few more. So glad Fosse’s Septology is on the list. Such a wonderful reading experience. Style is everything I typically do not like but I was so taken with all 3 of the books.

Yes, I can live with this, pleased to see two South Korean titles, I'm finishing up 'Love in the Big City' and liking it, and although I wasn't blown away by 'Cursed Bunny' thought it was inventive and entertaining overall. Kawakami's another writer whose work I've been following so that's another plus. I've also just finished an ARC of 'Phenotypes' and mulling over my response, but chimed with my personal interest in issues around race and identity, fascinating about Brazil's pigmentocracy, and loved the style. Definitely contemplating most of the others, although I'll dodge the Tokarczuk, I liked 'Drive Your Plow' but mainly because of the Blake references and the arguments re: animal rights/welfare but haven't liked anything else of hers I've tried, and a friend is a staunch Grossman fan who keeps lending me his books, but again never managed to finish one.

Can’t wait to see how you rank them so far. I’m still in the middle of Phenotypes (set it aside for a bit).

I can also live with the list, but it is not as appealing to me as last year’s list where I felt spoiled for choice.

I read only 2,5 so far (Paradais great, Elena Sabe great so far, Heaven a bit predictable), and had quite a few of the others on my TBR.

I had mixed feelings about David Grossman’s winner some years ago, but the description of this one is very appealing. Jon Fosse is a bit problematic because the nominated volume is the third part of a trilogy and I haven’t read the first two.

I will start with the two Korean entries and I see have an audio-edition of Huisman included in my audiobook subscription. For the two tomes we’ll wait to see they make the shortlist :)

One thing we predicted in advance is that the judges here and on the WP would identify a theme and tie it to the current crisis. Has anyone seen that. It still feels like the RoC was the prize that rather serendipitously linked to current events - I really think Five Days Untold needs to advance there now.

While I've just started Five Days Untold, I think In the Dark is another that ties to the current crisis.

I couldn't see an influence in the booker selections unless The Books of Jacob had been on the fence.

Emily wrote: "I'll be avoiding Paradais like the plague, but I'd already decided to do that...."

Oh, no, why?

Very Good point LindaJ - In The Dark is much closer to the horrors happening, Five Days Untold uncovers the hypocrisy of the Western response though

Hopefully both will make the list

Bob wrote: "Emily wrote: "I'll be avoiding Paradais like the plague, but I'd already decided to do that...."

Oh, no, why?"

I thought her previous book, Hurricane Season, was technically very accomplished but utterly miserable and not in a way I personally found profound or illuminating. Many others on here liked it however.

Emily wrote: "I thought her previous book, Hurricane Season, was technically very accomplished but utterly miserable..."

Fair enough. The new one seems like it's gonna be a tough read, too, critiquing Mexican culture in a more straight-forward manner.