American authors to become eligible for Britain’s Booker Prize for fiction

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FILE - This Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 file photo shows Hilary Mantel, winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, with a copy of her book \'Bring up the Bodies\', shortly after the award ceremony in central London. Organizers of the Booker Prize announced Wednesday Sept. 18, 2013 that starting in 2014, the prize will be open to novels written in English and published in Britain, regardless of the author\'s nationality. Founded in 1969, the Booker has previously been open only to writers from Britain, Ireland and the 54-nation Commonwealth of former British colonies. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

LONDON – The Americans are coming to storm Britain’s literary citadel.

Organizers of the Booker Prize announced Wednesday that from next year authors from the U.S. will be eligible to win the prestigious fiction award.

Booker trustees said that, starting in 2014, the prize will be open to novels written in English and published in Britain, regardless of the author’s nationality.

Founded in 1969, the Booker has previously been open only to writers from Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth of former British colonies.

That has not stopped it from becoming one of the world’s best-known literary prizes, one that carries both prestige and commercial clout.

This year’s six finalists include several writers with strong U.S. ties, among them Jhumpa Lahiri and Ruth Ozeki. The winner will be announced in London Oct. 15.

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