Zimbabe's Tsitsi Dangarembga has once again gained international prominence through her third novel This Mournable Body. The announcement of the annually anticipated Booker Prize Longlist recognises the third book from Dangarembga as an auspicious body of work worthy to be on the list. Ethopian-American Maaza Mengiste's The Shadow King is another historic African selection for the reputable prize.

Originally only for commonwealth countries, The Booker Prize is an international literary award institution that financially rewards orignal English literary submissions from around the world.