The shortlist comprises ten books, and six languages are represented:
- The Literary Conference by César Aira, translated from the Spanish by Katherine Silver
- The Golden Age by Michal Ajvaz, translated from the Czech by Andrew Oakland
- A Life on Paper by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud, translated from the French by Edward Gauvin
- The Jokers by Albert Cossery, translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis
- Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky
- Hocus Bogus by Romain Gary writing as Émile Ajar, translated from the French by David Bellos
- The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson, translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal
- On Elegance While Sleeping by Emilio Lascano Tegui, translated from the Spanish by Idra Novey
- Agaat by Marlene Van Niekerk, translated from the Afrikaans by Michiel Heyns
- Georg Letham: Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss, translated from the German by Joel Rotenberg
via The Millions : 2011 Best Translated Book Award Finalists Announced.