Anna’s novel The Chimes is one of 13 books selected by judges from a pool of 156 books considered for this year’s Man Booker Prize.
The Wellington-based writer, who graduated from Victoria University’s International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), was completely surprised by the nomination.
"After the initial shock I was, of course, utterly delighted. The Man Booker has such a broad and powerful platform that the nomination will mean the book is introduced to a lot of new readers," Anna says.
"When I first had the idea for The Chimes I was at a crossroads in my career. The decision to focus solely on writing felt very much a gamble. The longlisting is a boon because I can finally let myself see that the risk has paid off. It somehow gives me permission, also, to throw my imagination out with renewed energy, into new, more ambitious places."
IIML senior lecturer Emily Perkins says it’s fantastic to see IIML graduates go on to receive international recognition.
“We are thrilled for Anna and this recognition for her marvellous, inventive and emotionally powerful novel.
“The Chimes rewards the reader with a poet’s delight in language, a rich understanding of the power of music and a heartfelt connection with its characters,” Emily says.
Victoria University Press published Anna’s first book of poems The Violinist in Spring in 2005, which was listed by The New Zealand Listener as one of the best books of 2006.
Anna’s achievement comes two years after another IIML graduate Eleanor Catton won the Man Booker Prize for her novel The Luminaries.