Iraqi monster tale in running for international Booker prize

LONDON — A monster story set in a Baghdad torn apart by violence is among six contenders for the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for fiction.

The list of finalists announced Thursday includes Iraqi writer Ahmed Saadawi’s “Frankenstein in Baghdad,” which depicts real and imaginary horrors after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

South Korea’s Han Kang, who won in 2016 for “The Vegetarian,” is nominated again for her meditative novel “The White Book.”

Also on the list is globe-spanning story collection “The World Goes On” by Laszlo Krasznahorkai of Hungary. He won the prize in 2015 before it changed from recognizing the careers of writers to an award for an individual book.