Man Booker Prize 2016 Winner - Han Kang for ‘The Vegetarian’

South Korean author Han Kang won the Man Booker Prize for 2016 for her novel ‘The Vegetarian’. She shared the prize with her translator Deborah Smith, who had translated her novel from Korean to English. With this Han became the first South Korean to win this prestigious literary prize. Han Kang and Deborah Smith, who only began learning Korean seven years ago, thus beat renowned writers including Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and international bestseller Elena Ferrante for the award. ‘The Vegetarian’ was one of 155 books submitted for the Man Booker, with judges chaired by Boyd Tonkin selecting a shortlist. It tells of “a completely ordinary wife” (lead character Yeong-hye) who decides to become a vegetarian as she seeks a more “plant-like” existence.