Oscar Season For Books—What To Know About The Esteemed Booker Prize

Check on your well-read friend, because it’s almost that time of year again: On November 10, the winner of this year’s Booker Prize will be announced. The prestigious literary award is given each year to a work of fiction that is published in English and available in both the U.K. and Ireland; it is among the most momentous occasions in the book world and one of the most significant honors an author can receive. The winner of the International Booker Prize, which recognizes a literary work that has been translated into English, was announced earlier this year and was awarded to Heart Lamp, written by Banu Mushtaq and translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi.

About The Booker Prize

The first Booker Prize was awarded in 1969 to P.H. Newby, an English writer and radio producer at the BBC, for his mystery novel Something to Answer For. Since then, the award has transformed literary careers, celebrating the most moving, taut and profound literature and catapulting authors to international acclaim and recognition.

Every year, a panel of five judges is convened to select nominees; judges are pooled from a variety of industries, but creativity is key, says Gaby Wood, the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, of its selection process. “Often what we end up putting together is a jury of creative peers,” she says in a feature on the Booker Prize website. “People who exercise their imaginations on a regular basis, or are used to working alongside others who do.” Beyond that, she says, while the judges are important on an individual basis, the most important thing is their dynamic as a group.

This year’s selection committee includes broadcaster and critic Chris Power, writers Kiley Reid, Roddy Doyle and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and actor Sarah Jessica Parker. Together, they first selected the Booker Longlist—13 titles—which are then narrowed down to the Shortlist of six. The nominated books are Flashlight by Susan Choi, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, Audition by Katie Kitamura, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller and Flesh by David Szalay. The winning author will receive £50,000 and other nominees will receive £2,500.

Ahead of the award ceremony next month, now is the perfect time to peruse some of the Booker backlog of past short and long listed nominees for your next read.

Books To Add To Your TBR

’The Safekeep’ By Yael Van Der Wouden: This breathtaking novel details the simmering affair between a rigid and disciplined young woman and the vibrant, daring girlfriend of her brother. Set in 1961 in a rural Dutch province, the book features themes that are both prescient and evergreen.

‘Never Let Me Go’ By Kazuo Ishiguro: Ishiguro’s meditation on memory and what makes us who we are also earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature. Set in a dystopian 1990s England, the novel follows the lives of a group of friends who attended a clandestine boarding school with a sinister purpose.

‘Small Things Like These’ By Claire Keegan: Keegan’s ability to weave sparse but compelling prose earned her a spot on the 2022 Shortlist. This book may be small, but within it is an illustration of Irish literature certain to make the whole country proud.

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ By Margaret Atwood: This legendary novel by one of the most critical feminist voices of a generation answers the question: What does reproductive health look like in a dystopian world? As urgent as ever, this book is as lyrical as it is educational.

‘James’ By Percival Everett: Everett won the Pulitzer for his breathtaking adaptation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, in which the character of Jim—James—is at the heart. Applauded for its incisive ability to center the voice of Jim with the significance it deserves, this novel is as much of a masterpiece as its predecessor.

‘Creation Lake’ By Rachel Kushner: This novel about a secret agent sent to infiltrate a group of subversives on a rural French commune is part spy thriller, part deep dive into the history of humankind. As thoroughly researched as a doctoral dissertation, Creation Lake weaves a sensual, propulsive tale that will have you rapt.

Still Need Your Book(er) Fix?

If you’re looking for ways to up your reading game, take a word of advice from judge Chris Power: It’s all about priorities and knowing that a little reading is better than none.

For ravenous readers, the Booker Prize website is a treasure trove of book lists to add to your TBR—like this list of Booker-nominated books for Downtown Abbey fans and this feature interview with nominated authors about how they draw inspiration and hone their craft.