Salman Rushdie nominated for Man Booker Prize 2007

April 13: Salman Rushdie, the India-born British author, known for controversial writings, has been nominated along with the 14 other authors for the Man Booker International Award for the year 2007.

The 60,000 pound award is presented in every two years to the UK and Commonwealth writers, for producing original and complete work by the author.

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The first such award was won by Albanian novelist Ismael Kadre in 2005, for his controversial writing, whose books were banned under communism. Salman had won both Man Booker Award and Booker of the Booker award for his famous novel Midnightâ??s Children.

Some 15 reputed authors including seven former Booker Prize winners - John Banville of Ireland; Margaret Atwood of Canada; Peter Carey of Australia; Nigerian Chinua Achebe and Israeli Amos Oz are contesting hard for this prize. Other authors are Philip Roth and Don DeLillo, both from US and Carlos Fuentes of Maxico, Michael Ondaatje and Alice Munro of Canada, Harry Mulisch of Holland and France's Michel Tournier.

In the Judges list, Elaine Showalter, Professor Emeritus of English and Avalon Professor of the Humanities at the Princeton University, is the chief selector, while other judges include Nadine Gordimer, the South African Nobel-winning writer, and Colm Tóibin, the Irish writer and academic. The recipient of the award will be announced in June, 2007.