Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Han Kang
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Man Booker International Prize is a major literary award that recognises outstanding works of fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom. In 2016, the prize format was revised so that both the author and the translator share the award. This question checks whether you know which author won the Man Booker International Prize 2016 for the widely discussed novel The Vegetarian.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To solve this, you need general knowledge of contemporary literature and major international awards. The Vegetarian is a novel written by South Korean author Han Kang. In 2016, the Man Booker International Prize was awarded jointly to Han Kang as the author and to Deborah Smith as the translator. Among the options, only Han Kang is directly associated as the author of The Vegetarian, making her the correct answer. Names such as Orhan Pamuk and Elena Ferrante are celebrated novelists but are not linked to this particular prize and book in 2016.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key elements in the question, namely the Man Booker International Prize 2016 and the novel The Vegetarian.
Step 2: Recall that The Vegetarian is a Korean novel by author Han Kang, focusing on a woman who chooses to stop eating meat and the social and psychological consequences of her decision.
Step 3: Remember that this book, in its English translation, won the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.
Step 4: Compare this knowledge with the list of options and locate Han Kang among them.
Step 5: Conclude that Han Kang is the correct answer, since she is the author whose work received this prize.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can recall that news coverage of the 2016 prize emphasised that it was the first year the Man Booker International Prize was awarded to a single book rather than an entire body of work, and that it was shared between Han Kang and her translator Deborah Smith. Orhan Pamuk and Elena Ferrante have been nominated for or received other prestigious awards, but they were not winners of the Man Booker International Prize 2016 for The Vegetarian. This supports the conclusion that Han Kang is the correct choice.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Orhan Pamuk: A highly respected Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate, but he is not associated with The Vegetarian and did not receive the Man Booker International Prize 2016 for this work.
Elena Ferrante: An acclaimed Italian novelist known for the Neapolitan novels, yet she is not the author of The Vegetarian and did not win this specific prize in 2016.
Tonkin: This name likely refers to a critic or another literary figure, but it does not match the author who received the award for The Vegetarian, so it is not correct here.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often confuse the Man Booker Prize and the Man Booker International Prize or assume that a more familiar Western author must have won. Another common problem is overlooking the role of translation and believing that only English language authors are considered. In reality, the Man Booker International Prize celebrates translated fiction, which is why authors like Han Kang can be honoured for works originally written in another language. Understanding the difference between various literary awards helps avoid such confusion.
Final Answer:
The recipient of the Man Booker International Prize 2016 for the novel The Vegetarian is Han Kang.
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