By Grace Briggs-Jones, Florrie Hulbert, Daisy Shayegan and Harry Banham
The Booker Prize was founded in 1969 as an award for Commonwealth writers and is one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world. Annually, the prize is awarded to a chosen work of fiction written in English and published in the UK and Ireland but is open to all writers, regardless of origin. Being shortlisted for the prize has become a well-known marker of quality, with shortlisted and winning authors experiencing massive increases in global readership and sales. Beyond this, the winner receives £50,000 and each shortlisted author receives £2,500.
The prize aims to highlight books which are not only extremely relevant to today’s society but have the potential to endure as lasting examples of great literature. Previous winners include Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka and Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. This year’s judging panel consists of author Edmund de Waal, novelist Sara Collins, Guardian editor Justine Jordan, writer and professor Yiyun Li and musician Nitin Sawhney. From 156 submitted works, they drew up a longlist of thirteen works before cutting that down to the shortlist of just six. Let’s have a look at this year’s nominated books.
Held by Anne Michaels spans four generations, exploring moments of profound connection. Shifting in time, the story follows John, a WWI soldier, and the lingering effects of his devastation. Michaels’ poetic portrayal of war, injury and home transports the reader into deep reflection. Instead of character or chronology, the narrative unfolds through interconnected themes and imagery, creating striking gaps in space and time. This powerful reading experience rightfully earns its place on the shortlist.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner is a gripping politically-charged novel that explores the intersection of ideology, environmentalism and radicalism. The story follows Bruno Lacombe, a former revolutionary, now exiled to a cave complex in southern France as he obsesses over the extinction of Neanderthals and the growing divide between humanity and nature. When Sadie Smith, a sharp-witted American spy, is sent to infiltrate the eco-commune Lacombe mentors, the novel delves into the manipulation of movements for political gain. Kushner's intricate character work, especially concerning Sadie's inner conflicts and the novel's mix of political theory, satire and dark comedy make it a standout. A thought-provoking exploration of the personal and political, Creation Lake rightfully secures its place on the shortlist.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey conveys an urgent message about our planet, infused with hope and a refusal to succumb to despair. Six astronauts aboard their spacecraft silently observe Earth's breathtaking beauty. Harvey crafts a love letter to the planet, exploring bereavement, loneliness and mission fatigue, while celebrating the value of human life. Compact yet expansive, the novel’s insights earn it a well-deserved place on the shortlist.
James by Percival Everett is an unmissable satirical retelling of Mark Twain's 1884 classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of runaway slave Jim. In his retelling, Everett reclaims Jim's name James and contrasts the intelligent speech of black characters when together, with the way they speak in front of white characters, performing their inferiority to ensure survival. Everett largely follows the plot of the original novel, using the moments where Huck and “Jim” are separated to develop James's own story. He departs from the original ending with a twist which entangles Huck and James' stories further. A brilliant, poignant re-imagining of an American classic, this novel earns a very deserving place on the shortlist.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden follows the protagonist Isabella’s life, fifteen years after the end of the Second World War. Set in Overijssel, Holland, Isabella lives a quiet, organised and disciplined life in her late mother’s home. That is, until her brother’s new girlfriend, Eva, comes to stay with Isabella for the season. Isabella soon learns that she and Eva are nothing alike – she is a graceless, loud and inconsiderate guest. Disrupting Isabella’s life, she wakes up and goes to bed late and touches things in the house that she shouldn’t, leaving Isabella furious and obsessive over her, emotions which only increase as she begins to notice things disappearing in the house. Eva’s arrival in the middle of a hot summer partnered with Isabella’s longing for a restoration of order creates a story of desire and infatuation and allows Isabella to discover new things about herself, her life and her home.
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood focuses on the impact of grief, forgiveness and female friendship as its exhausted, middle-aged protagonist leaves Sydney and returns to her birthplace in New South Wales. Being a part of a strongly religious and close-knit community, she soon takes up a similar kind of lifestyle, despite not believing in God or ever having known what it feels like to pray to one. The secluded life she comes to inhabit is disrupted by three dramatic and disturbing events. A relentless infestation and plague of mice, the skeletal body of a presumed-murdered sister and a surprising visitor who throws Wood’s protagonist into the past and forces her to face the demons from her life before.
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