How do you win the Man Booker prize? Move to New York or London | Lucy Diver | Opinion | The Guardian

The 2013 Booker put New Zealand literature on the map internationally, but perhaps more importantly, it revitalised its relevance for locals. This is what the Booker can do, used to do, and should still be doing for global English literature.

And it's what this year's shortlist - an even split between US and UK authors - is not doing. This doesn't come as a surprise - it's the inevitable result of the rule change made in 2014, opening up the prize to American authors. There were criticisms at the time that this would "Americanise the prize". Now those fears have been realised. Two of the Americans on this year's list, Paul Auster and George Saunders, are extremely well established. I'm pleased for Emily Fridlund, an American debut novelist, and there are two British writers: the previously shortlisted Ali Smith and another debut author, Fiona Mozley.