Controversial Indian-born British novelist Salman Rushdie's yet to be published tale of a boy who grows up to become an Islamic terrorist has won him a place in the Man Booker Prize long-list for fiction this year.
Rushdie, who won the Booker prize in 1981 for 'Midnight's Children' (which was also awarded the Booker of Bookers in 1993), has been long-listed for his forthcoming work 'Shalimar the Clown,' scheduled to be published next month.
Set in Kashmir, the tale of love and revenge is sure to stir up a fresh controversy for the author who was forced to hide from an Islamic 'fatwa' after publication of 'The Satanic Verses.'
'Shalimar the Clown' details the transformation of a young Muslim boy from a shy teenager to an Islamic terrorist under the guidance of a radical mullah.
Also read: Salman Rushdie - An Interview
The shortlist will be announced on September 8 and the winner of the 50,000 pound prize on October 10.
In all, 4 former Booker winners and three first-time novelists are among the 17 authors vying for one of the most prestigious awards in the literary world.
Besides Rushdie, the previous Booker winners on this year's long-list are McEwan for 'Saturday,' Ishiguro for 'Never Let Me Go' and J M Coetzee for 'Slow Man.'
The three debut novels are 'A Short History of Tractors' in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka, 'The Harmony Silk Factory' by Tash Aw and 'This Thing of Darkness' by Harry Thompson.
Smith has been long-listed for her third novel, the soon-to-be-published 'On Beauty.' Other authors on the list include Julian Barnes, Hilary Mantel, Dan Jacobson and Rachel Cusk.