Man Asian: Musharraf Ali Farooqi short-listed but not victorious

Farooqi’s book were among five books shortlisted for Asia’s most prestigious literary prize.

HONG KONG: Pakistani writer Musharraf Ali Farooqi was nominated for Asia’s top literary prize with his book "Between Clay and Dust" but failed to win.

Farooqi’s book "Between Clay and Dust", his debut novel, was among five books shortlisted for the $30,000 Man Asian Literary Prize, with entries across the region from Turkey to Japan.

The winner was author Tan Twan Eng with "The Garden of Evening Mists", a novel set during the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Malaysia.

It is the second time the prize has been won by a novel originally written in English. All previous winners, except Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (2008), won as English translations.

Last year's winner was South Korean author Kyung-Sook Shin for her novel "Please Look After Mom" that has gone on to sell more than two million copies.

Born in 1968 in Hyderabad, Farooqi is an author, novelist and translator who divides his time between Toronto and Karachi and has published both adult and children’s fiction.

The 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist

- "Between Clay and Dust" - Musharraf Ali Farooqi (Pakistan)

- "The Briefcase" - Hiromi Kawakami (Japan)

- "Silent House" - Orhan Pamuk (Turkey)

- "The Garden of Evening Mists" - Tan Twan Eng (Malaysia)

- "Narcopolis" - Jeet Thayil (India)