Man Booker Prize longlist announced: Graphic novel in competition for first time

For the first time in its nearly 50-year history, the Man Booker Prize could go to a graphic novel.

The longlist for the prestigious British literary award was announced Tuesday. Among the surprises on the list was the inclusion of "Sabrina," a graphic novel by 29-year-old Chicago-based cartoonist and illustrator Nick Drnaso. The book is the story of a woman's disappearance and the media feeding frenzy that surrounds it.

Two other American novelists made the list: Richard Powers, author of "The Overstory," an ecological epic, and Rachel Kushner, author of "The Mars Room," about a women's prison. Works in English by authors outside the United Kingdom and Commonwealth were made eligible for the prize in 2013. Since then, novels by two American authors, Paul Beatty and George Saunders, have won the Man Booker, which comes with an award of roughly $65,000.

Among the other titles longlisted was Michael Ondaatje's "Warlight," about two children raised by petty criminals in London during World War II. Ondaatje's 1992 novel, "The English Patient," recently won the Golden Man Booker Prize, given to the best work of fiction among the prizewinners of the past five decades.

A shortlist of six titles will be released on Sept. 20, and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 16. Among the past winners of the Man Booker are Iris Murdoch, Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan and Hilary Mantel.

Here is the complete list of longlist titles:

Belinda Bauer, "Snap" (United Kingdom)

Anna Burns, "Milkman" (United Kingdom)

Nick Drnaso, "Sabrina" (United States)

Esi Edugyan, "Washington Black" (Canada)

Guy Gunaratne, "In Our Mad and Furious City" (United Kingdom)

Daisy Johnson, "Everything Under" (United Kingdom)

Rachel Kushner, "The Mars Room" (United States)

Sophie Mackintosh, "The Water Cure" (United Kingdom)

Michael Ondaatje, "Warlight" (Canada)

Richard Powers, "The Overstory" (United States)

Robin Robertson, "The Long Take" (United Kingdom)

Sally Rooney, "Normal People" (Ireland)

Donal Ryan, "From A Low And Quiet Sea" (Ireland)