BTBA 2019 longlist

Another year, another longlist (of which I've read a handful: Olga Tokarczuk, Ondjaki, Dubravka Ugresic, and Can Xue [the latter pair after the turn of the year], and, in poetry, Luljeta Lleshanaku); as always, adding new blips to the radar (I generally end up reading a third of the fiction longlist, half the shortlist). While disappointed that my favorite press, Archipelago Books, was not included on any longlist this year (first time for that; last year the first time not on any shortlist), it's gratifying to see the variety of small presses making up the list (as too with the MBIP this year, indicating a healthy ecology; on the other hand, Dublin could find only one translation), and particularly the return of university presses (nearly shut out last year). I expect that 3% coverage will elaborate on the contenders, while Mooksie and Gripes' forum will sort them out, but that's just about all I'm willing to forecast.