The Booker Prize awards recently took place, celebrating the best in
contemporary literature, and once again, a Penguin Random House
author took home the coveted prize. David Szalay’s Flesh, a “spare and
penetrating novel”, follows István from shy adolescence in a Hungarian
apartment block to the heights of the army and London’s elite. It explores
love, ambition, and the fragility of life. This marks the fifth PRH author to
win the award in seven years with remarkable books such as Samantha
Harvey’s Orbital (2024), Damon Galgut’s The Promise (2021), Margaret
Atwood’s The Testaments and Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other;
novels that highlight the extraordinary breadth of contemporary storytelling.
2025
David Szalay
Fifteen-year-old István, shy and isolated in a Hungarian apartment complex, forms a confusing, secretive bond with a neighbour. Over the years, he rises through the army and London’s elite, pursuing love, wealth, and status, until his ambitions threaten to undo him. Spare and penetrating, Flesh is a masterful exploration of what makes life worth living—and what can break it.
2024
Samantha Harvey
Life on Earth like never before: aboard the International Space Station, astronauts observe our planet’s beauty—glaciers, deserts, oceans—while conducting experiments and testing limits. Yet distance brings perspective: news of loss and looming storms reminds them of humanity’s fragility. Far from home, they reflect on life, love, and the deep, inseparable bond between Earth and those who inhabit it.
2021
Damon Galgut
The Swart family seems ordinary, like any other white South African family, yet their story unfolds in The Promise through four funerals across decades. Amid changing presidents and shifting times, they squabble over a worthless farm outside Pretoria, while a brother and sister grapple with a long-forgotten promise that shapes their lives.
2019
Margaret Atwood
The Republic of Gilead is unraveling. Two girls with very different experiences of the regime confront the formidable Aunt Lydia, testing their beliefs and limits. This edition includes book club discussion points and an interview with Margaret Atwood on the real-life events that inspired The Testaments and The Handmaid’s Tale. Historic joint winner with Bernardine Evaristo.
2019
Bernardine Evaristo
Teeming with energy, humour, and heart, Bernardine Evaristo’s novel is a love song to Black Britain. Through twelve vibrant characters—Grace, Winsome, Amma, Morgan, and more—spanning over a century, she paints a sweeping portrait of contemporary Britain, celebrating change, resilience, and joy in a story that is dynamic, unforgettable, and utterly irresistible. Historic joint winner with Margaret Atwood.
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Samantha Harvey’s Novel ‘Orbital’ Wins the Booker Prize 2024
In November 2024, Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for her novel Orbital.