NZ author in last six for world's biggest book award

Lloyd Jones. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

New Zealand writer Lloyd Jones' novel Mister Pip has been named on the six-book shortlist for the prestigious Man Booker Prize.

The shortlist was announced yesterday for arguably the literary world's most sought after awards with the winner to be announced in London on October 16.

Penguin publishing director Geoff Walker said Jones' success was "almost unbelievable".

"It's just so far ahead of anything that a New Zealand novel has achieved for a long time. You have to go back to the early 1980s and the success of The Bone People (by Keri Hulme) to reach this exalted state."

Mister Pip is set amid the chaos of war-torn Pacific island of Bougainville in the early 1990s.

It is narrated by 13-year-old Matilda, who becomes transfixed by Pip, the character in Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, which is read to her class by an eccentric teacher.

It was three years and 10 drafts in the making. Jones titled the 11th draft "last chance", and once it all clicked he poured it out in nine months.

In June, Jones was awarded the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and then won the Montana Medal for fiction.

Mr Walker said Penguin was "over the moon" about this new success and excited for Jones.

He and Jones' agent in Auckland, Michael Gifkins, plan to be in London next month for the awards ceremony, where a 50,000 pound ($134,553) prize is up for grabs.

Authors are selected from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth.

Making the shortlist would further raise Jones' profile and that of his novels, internationally, Mr Walker said.

"There's growing interest around the world in Lloyd's previously published novels and this is going to continue."

Mr Walker said he had not yet spoken to Jones since the announcement and was yet to receive a reply to a text message he sent him.

British bookmakers have said there are really only two contenders for the prize - Jones and British author Ian McEwan.

McEwan was selected for his novella On Chesil Beach which chronicles a shy young couple's wedding night.

It was the bookies' favourite when the 13-book long list was announced last month.