Man Booker Prize longlist announced

On the same day that the birth of a significant baby was announced in London, the long list of a significant literary prize was also announced. The Man Booker Prize, given annually to a novel published in Great Britain or the countries of its Commonwealth, Ireland, or Zimbabwe, is one of literature's most significant awards. The winner receives 50,000 English pounds.

Here's this year's long list, selected from 151 titles. Highlighted stories lead to Star Tribune reviews:

Tash Aw, "Five Star Billionare"

NoViolet Bulawayo, "We Need New Names"

Eleanor Catton, "The Luminaries"

Jim Crace, "Harvest"

Eve Harris, "The Marrying of Chani Kaufman"

Jhumpa Lahiri, "The Lowland"

Alison MacLeod, "Unexploded"

Colum McCann, "TransAtlantic"

Charlotte Mendelson, "Almost English"

Ruth Ozeki, "A Tale for the Time Being"

Colm Toibin, "The Testament of Mary"

Not all of the titles have been published in the United States (Lahiri's book, for instance, will be published this fall--and she's coming to town, so mark your calendar).