The 12-strong longlist for the Man Booker Prize is set to be unveiled later, with world titles eligible for the first time in its history.
The prize is newly open to US writers, alongside any other authors writing in English and published in the UK.
AC Grayling, chairman of judges, said 2014 would be a "highly significant year" for the prize.
The £50,000 literary award was previously restricted to works from the Commonwealth, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Organisers said it would now "recognise, celebrate and embrace" all authors writing in English "whether from Chicago, Sheffield or Shanghai".
Grayling said the new-look judging panel faced an "exciting" challenge, adding: "We welcome that challenge, and are now launching ourselves into it with relish."
Last year, the Booker was won by New Zealand novelist Eleanor Catton for The Luminaries, becoming the youngest recipient of the award at the age of 28.
Her 832-page tale of the 19th-century goldfields was also the longest work to win in the prize's 45-year history.
This year, the longlist will be whittled down to six contenders on 9 September, with the winner due to be announced on 14 October.
Writing in The Guardian, Stuart Kelly said the rule changes would make it particularly difficult to predict the longlist.
Previous winners including Ian McEwan and Howard Jacobson were likely to have been considered; with Shark by Will Self and The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell possible bets.
He felt that only three US authors would make the list in their first year of eligibility, naming The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt as a possible contender.
Kelly did, however, consider whether the book's success to date could play against its inclusion amongst the historic "Booker dozen".
Booker longlist set to be revealed
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