South Korean novelist Han Kang is among candidates in the running for the 2016 Man Booker International Prize for her book "The Vegetarian."
 
A judging panel announced Thursday the Man Booker Dozen of 13 candidates for the prize, which is regarded as one of the world’s three most prestigious literary honors along with the Nobel Prize and France’s Prix Goncourt.
 
Han made it on the list with her 2004 novel, which was translated by Deborah Smith into English. The translated version of "The Vegetarian" hit U.K. shelves in January last year and was published in the U.S. in February this year.
 
The judging panel selected the longlist among 155 entries consisting of authors from 12 countries in nine different languages this year, and will announce a shortlist of six on April 14th. The winner will be revealed in May.

Since it was established in 1969 by British publisher Booker, the award has honored the finest works of fiction written in or translated to English. However, starting this year, the Man Booker International Prize is a prize awarded solely for fiction in translation.