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Using faded photographs, old postcards, letters, diaries and discarded possessions, the Russian poet and author Maria Stepanova meticulously pieces together her family's history. It's an unconventional book that dips into essay, fiction, memoir, travelogue and historical documents. Maria tells us that the Booker nomination brings satisfaction that a book like hers, which eschews the norms of narrative fiction, can still be recognised for the highest prizes. For her friend and fellow poet, Sasha, the nomination just brought an "intense relief". Photo by Laura Aziz