Shokoofeh Azar, who escaped Iran and came to Australia by boat in 2010, has been shortlisted for the International Booker Prize for her first novel, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree. The prize, which is worth £50,000 ($102,000) and awarded to a novel translated into English, is shared between the writer and the translator of the winning book. This poses a problem as the novel was written in her native Farsi and her translator remains anonymous. The translator travels frequently to Iran and would be banned if their name came out.

‘‘My translator actually said if the book wins then maybe they would reveal their name, which would mean they wouldn’t be able to go back to Iran.’’

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