The back also states that the novel is a work of fiction which could impact the consumers’ decision on whether or not to purchase they should purchase it. Although the awards are meant to convince consumers to purchase the novel the one on the cover, the Man
Booker Prize, which is given to the best English fiction novel, shows that the original thinking that England and the United States are not necessarily the centers of English writing. In the article Prizing “Otherness”: A Short History of the Booker by Graham Huggan, the book Consuming Fictions by Richard Todd is brought in to prove the previously stated point. Todd states that although it was the case in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the “Booker shortlist is not centered around Britain” anymore. This quote is a perfect example for Do Not Say We Have Nothing, a novel which was on the shortlist for the award since Madeleine Thien is Canadian and it was printed in the United States. The novel is only printed in English, which shows the continued dominance of the English language around the world. Madeleine Thien being from Canada also goes to show that other Countries other than England and the United States are capable of creating literature that is up to par with the Countries that are more well known for their English. The dominance of the English language is shown by the fact that French is the mother tongue of around seven million Canadians, and yet the novel is only printed in English even though the author is from and the story takes place in Canada. Based on this it seems that this novel, along with many others, are directed for people in America and Britain to educate them on what is happening around the world, which is why it is only printed in