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The shortlist for the Man Booker Prize was announced early Tuesday, with two Canadians making the cut, including Madeleine Thien for Do Not Say We Have Nothing, and David Szalay for All That Man Is.

The pair join a list that includes Paul Beatty’s The Sellout, Deborah Levy’s Hot Milk, Graeme Macrae Burnet’s His Bloody Project and Ottessa Moshfegh’s Eileen.

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As only the third year of the esteemed award being open to any nationality, the shortlist features two Canadians, two Americans and two British authors competing for the £50,000 (roughly $86,000 CDN) prize. Each of the six shortlisted authors will receive £2,500 (roughly $4,300 CDN).

Amanda Foreman, chair of judges, said, “The Man Booker Prize subjects novels to a level of scrutiny that few books can survive. In re-reading our incredibly diverse and challenging longlist, it was both agonizing and exhilarating to be confronted by the sheer power of the writing. As a group we were excited by the willingness of so many authors to take risks with language and form. The final six reflect the centrality of the novel in modern culture – in its ability to champion the unconventional, to explore the unfamiliar, and to tackle difficult subjects.”

Thien recently also made the longlist for Canada’s ScotiaBank Giller Prize.

The winner of the Man Booker Prize will be announced October 25. Last year’s award went to Marlon James for his much lauded novel A Brief History of Seven Killings.

The judges this year are Foreman, Jon Day, Abdulrazak Gurnah, David Harsent and Olivia Williams.