Israel’s David Grossman wins International Booker Prize

London: Israeli author David Grossman has won the Man Booker International Prize for his novel “A Horse Walks Into a Bar.”

The award was announced Wednesday in London. Grossman beat out five other finalists, including fellow Israeli author Amos Oz for the counterpart to Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize. Grossman’s novel is about a failing standup comic and his final performance.

The award has a prize of 50,000 pounds (USD 64,000) that is split evenly between Grossman and translator Jessica Cohen. The prize was previously a career honor, but changed last year to recognise a single book in a bid to increase the profile of international fiction in English-speaking countries.

Last year the prize was awarded to “The Vegetarian” by South Korea’s Han Kang. (AP)