Indian author Jeet Thayil in Man Booker Prize Race

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Indian author 53-year-old Kerala-born Jeet Thayil's first novel 'Narcopolis', a compelling tale of Mumbai's hazy world of opium addiction, has made it to the six-author short list for the Man Booker Prize 2012 announced recently. 

Apart from Thayil, authors on the short list are Deborah Levy, Hilary Mantel, Alison Moore, Will Self and Tan Twan Eng.

Hilary Mantel, who won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2009 with historical novel "Wolf Hall", is on the shortlist for the coveted award again for her sequel "Bring up the Bodies"

Announcing the short list, the judges praised the powerful language and artistry displayed in the six books, whose common themes include old age, memory and loss. 

The six books are : 

• Jeet Thayil (Narcopolis)  
• Tan Twan Eng (The Garden of Evening Mists)
• Deborah Levy (Swimming Home)
• Hilary Mantel (Bring up the Bodies)
• Alison Moore (The Lighthouse)
• Will Self (Umbrella)

The short list includes first novels by two authors : Jeet Thayil and Alison Moore. 

Of the six authors, two have previously been linked to the prize. Hilary Mantel won the prize in 2009 with Wolf Hall and the Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng was longlisted for the prize in 2007 with his debut novel, The Gift of Rain. 

Each shortlisted author will receive 2,500 pounds and a specially commissioned handbound edition of their book. The winner will receive a further 50,000 pounds. The winner will be announced on October 16 at London's Guildhall during a live telecast on the BBC. The winner may also expect a significant increase in sales of their book.