His Bloody Project longlisted for Man Booker Prize 2016

Posted on July 27, 2016

We are bursting with pride to say that Graeme Macrae Burnet’s His Bloody Project has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016.

Graeme’s psychological crime thriller joins another 12 books on the Booker longlist, which also includes authors such JM Coetzee and AL Kennedy.

Graeme said: “To say I’m excited is an understatement: I’m overwhelmed. Being on a longlist with such illustrious company is a genuine honour, and I’m also thrilled for Saraband – a small publisher producing great books, they also deserve this recognition.”

Publisher Sara Hunt said: “We discovered Graeme when he submitted his first novel, The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau, which we absolutely loved for its originality, beautiful writing and superb characterization. We snapped it up, publishing in July 2014.

“We were even more impressed with his second novel, His Bloody Project, for its sophisticated writing, gripping storyline, evocation of place, and playful changes of perspective. It’s a fabulous book and we couldn’t be more delighted.”

His Bloody Project is the story of a savage triple-murder in a remote crofting community in the 19th century. The question is not who did it – 17-year-old Roderick Macrae freely admitted to the killings – but why did he do it?

Graeme Macrae Burnet ingeniously recounts the story of the murders and the subsequent trial with the aid of Roderick’s memoir, along with court transcripts, medical reports, police statements and newspaper articles.

The Man Booker Prize 2016 longlist was chosen from 155 submissions. The shortlist of six books will be announced on 13 September, and the £50,000 winner on 25 October.