Book geeks unite! New Zealand can be collectively proud of having a Kiwi on the prestigious Booker Prize shortlist.

For those who don’t follow such literary things, the Booker is THE fiction writing prize to top all prizes. I mean, lordy, it must be good if their own site says the award has “the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers.” Previous winners have shot to fame from obscurity (not to mention shooting to the top of bestseller lists worldwide).

Lloyd Jones is a great writer (I recommend The Book of Fame, a semi-fictional account of the 1905 All Black tour of Europe). His latest work, Mister Pip, has reached the prestigious top six finalists for the Booker Prize. Set in Papua New Guinea amidst some serious civil strife, the book interweaves personal stories with political upheaval; violence with tenderness; and native perspectives with white views. Language-wise, it’s a gem and easy to read. It’s a tale with great momentum, but be ready for some tragic moments.

The odds of a win for our Kiwi writer are put at 2:1. The last time a New Zealand writer won was in 1985 with Keri Hulme’s the bone people. Golly, it’s been more than twenty years. Must be time for a win, eh?

The full 2007 shortlist is:

• Darkmans by Nicola Barker
• The Gathering by Anne Enright
• The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
• Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
• Animal’s People by Indra Sinh

And if you want to sneak in a bit of light reading, try reading past Booker Prize winners – you can buy them from all good New Zealand bookshops.