[글동네]英부커상 호주작가 피터 캐리 선정

영 연방 최고 권위의 문학상인 부커상 올해 수상작으로 호주 출신 소설가 피터 캐리(58)의 < 갱 캘리의 진정한 역사(True History of the Kelly Gang ) >를 선정했다. 이 소설은 호주 정착기에 악명을 떨쳤던 갱스터 캘리라는 실제 인물을 주인공으로 호주 이민초기 상황을 생생하게 그린 작품이다.

1968년에 제정된 부커상은 해마다 영 연방 국가에서 영어로 쓰여진 소설 중 가장 뛰어난 작품을 골라 시상하며, 1971년에는 올해 노벨문학상 수상자인 V. S. 나이폴이 < 자유국가에서 >로 이 상을 받았다. 상금은 2만1000파운드.

수상자 피터 캐리는 6권의 소설을 발표한 호주 출신의 작가로 현재 뉴욕에 거주하고 있다. 그의 작품중 국내에 번역된 소설은 아직 없다.

▶다음은 부커상 공식홈페이지(http://www.thebookerprize.com/)에 실린 발표 내용. 이 사이트에는 이번 부커상 상작 리뷰, 작가 프로필, 작품 내용 일부가 실려 있다.

SECOND BOOKER PRIZE WIN FOR PETER CAREY

Australian-born Peter Carey was tonight named the winner of the 2001 Booker Prize for Fiction with True History of the Kelly Gang, "the song of Australia", published by Faber and Faber.

The bookies' favourite for 2001, Peter Carey was the last Australian winner of the Booker Prize, in 1988, for Oscar and Lucinda, making him and J M Coetzee the only authors to have won the Booker Prize twice. He was also shortlisted in 1985 for Illywhacker. With odds reduced from 5/2 to 15/8 after the 2001 shortlist was announced he was always ahead of the pack 'on paper'.

Kenneth Baker, chair of the 2001 judges, made the announcement at a prestigious dinner in London's Guildhall, which was broadcast live on BBC 2. Bill Grimsey, Chief Executive of Iceland Group plc, presented Peter Carey with a cheque for ￡20,000.

Tonight Kenneth Baker commented:

The judges chose Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang because it is a magnificent story of the early settler days in Australia, expressed through the unforgettable voice of a vilified man who came to stand for more than he knew.

The Booker Prize is now in its 33rd year. The winner receives a total of ￡21,000 with a guaranteed increase in sales and recognition worldwide. Each of the six shortlisted authors, including the winner, receives ￡1,000 and a designer bound edition of their own book.

The judges for the Booker Prize 2001 were: Kenneth Baker, writer and former Secretary of State for Education (chair); novelist and critic, Philip Hensher; Michele Roberts, novelist and poet; Kate Summerscale, biographer and Literary Editor of The Daily Telegraph; and Professor Rory Watson, academic and writer.

The other novels shortlisted for the 2001 Booker Prize were:

· Ian McEwan < Atonement > (Jonathan Cape)

· Andrew Miller < Oxygen > ( Sceptre )

· David Mitchell < number9dream> ( Sceptre )

· Rachel Seiffert < The Dark Room> ( William Heinemann )

· Ali Smith < Hotel World > ( Hamish Hamilton )

Peter Carey < True History of the Kelly Gang > (Faber and Faber, ￡16.99)

True History of the Kelly Gang is the song of Australia, and it sings its protest in Ned Kelly's voice. Carey gives us Ned Kelly as orphan, Oedipus, horse thief, farmer, bushranger, reformer, bank-robber, police-killer and finally, his country's beloved Robin Hood. By the time of his hanging in 1880 a whole country would seem to agree that he was 'the best bloody man that has ever been in Benalla'. Carey skillfully makes art from his country's great story and helps us all to understand the measure of that 'best bloody man'.

Peter Carey is the author of six novels. He won the Booker Prize in 1988 for Oscar and Lucinda (which has since been made into a film starring Ralph Fiennes) and was shortlisted in 1985 with Illywhacker. His other novels include The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith and Jack Maggs (winner of the 1998 Commonwealth Writers Prize). He has also written a collection of short stories, The Fat Man in History, and a book for children, The Big Bazoohley.

<윤정훈기자>digana@donga.com