If you’re a fan of fiction, the Booker Prize might just highlight what you should be reading next. With the UK in lockdown due to the coronavirus, now could be the perfect time to update your reading list, whether you’re looking to expand your literary horizons or discover new authors.
The Booker Prize is high-profile and each year selects the best original novel written in English and published in the UK. Securing the award usually assures international renown, in fact, even being nominated on the ‘longlist’ is an achievement. The prize was established in 1969 and was first won by P. H. Newby for Something to Answer For. If you’re looking for something a bit more modern, these are the winners from the last few years.
2019: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
In 2019, we got two books to add to our reading list. For the third time in the history of the Booker Prize, the judges couldn’t decide between two books and named them both winners.
First up is Margaret Atwood. The sequel to the hugely popular Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments takes place 15 years after the events of the original novel. With three different narrators, you’re given a different perspective of Gilead, the dystopian world of the series. When the book launched, Atwood said it was for all those readers that wanted to know more about the inner workings of Gilead, with this book delving deeper into the establishment. If you’re a fan of the original or have been hooked on the TV series, this one is a must-read.
Bernardine Evaristo scooped the Booker Prize with her eighth novel, Girl, Woman, Other. Spanning decades and following the lives of 12 characters, this novel explores themes of feminism, politics and success through the individual stories of the characters as they negotiate the world. Whilst there’s no overarching story, the lives of the characters intertwine as they deal with struggle, conflicts and betrayals. The Booker Prize judges described it as a ‘must-read about modern Britain and womanhood’.
2018: Milkman by Anna Burns
Taking the award in 2008 was Irish author Anna Burns. Milkman is an intriguing novel that tackles the Northern Ireland conflict from the perspective of an 18-year-old girl as she draws the unwanted attentions of a paramilitary many years her senior. The power struggle and fear of the relationship make a powerful political statement whilst still being a riveting read. It’s original, at times funny and others creepy. Eschewing mentioning the city that the novel is set in and character names, Milkman is mysterious and full of surprises.
2017: Lincoln in Bardo by George Saunders
American writer Geroge Saunders secured the Booker Prize and a place on many reading lists with his first full-length novel, Lincoln in Bardo. Better known for writing short stories, Saunders proves he’s just as good with longer reads. The story mostly unfolds over a single evening and is set in bardo, the space between life and rebirth. The great civil war president loses his son, Willie, with the story following the president’s grief and the challenges of letting someone go. It’s a novel that blends history, spirituality and human emotion beautifully.
2016: The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Contemporary, fast-paced and hard-hitting, Sellout is an entertaining read that will get you hooked in the first few chapters. Born on the outskirts of Los Angeles, the narrator is fuelled by deceit and despair at what his hometown has become. The novel follows him as he enlists the help of the town’s most famous resident and reinstates slavery and segregating the local high school. Unsurprisingly, it lands him in the Supreme Court. If you’re a fan of satire, this original view of history and the legacy of racism in America will be just what you’re looking for.
2015: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
In 1976, seven gunmen storm Bob Marley’s house with machine guns blazing. The singer survives but the gunmen are never caught. This is at the centre of A Brief History of Seven Killings which spans several decades to assess the aftermath of the attempted assassination. Split into five sections, each covers the events of a single day intertwining the lives of a great host of characters from drug lords to journalists to CIA agents.
2014: The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
The Narrow Road to the Deep North tells the story of an Australian doctor haunted by memories from his times as a prisoner of war and struggling to be viewed as a war hero that’s at complete odds with his own views. You’ll be swept along with the tale as Richard Flanagan explores what it means to survive and what it is to be a ‘good man’. The book was inspired by Flanagan’s own father’s experience of being a Japanese prisoner of war, making the narrative even more powerful.
2013: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
If you love getting lost in a mystery or thriller, the Luminaries is a great addition to your reading list. Set in New Zealand during the country’s gold rush, Eleanor Catton combines an eerie period ghost story with a crime thriller that will keep you on your toes. Walter Moody sets out to make his fortune in the goldfields, but instead stumbles across a meeting where he gets drawn into unsolved crimes, pulling the reader along with him. It’s a hefty read with over 800 pages, but the twists and turns will keep you enthralled throughout.
2012: Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Fans of historical fiction loved Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall (which won the Booker Prize in 2009), so it’s not too surprising the sequel secured acclaim too. Bring up the Bodies continues to chart the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII. The second instalment follows history as Anne Boleyn marries the King, before she’s set aside in favour of Jane Seymour. It’s an incredibly important time in British history and Mantel expertly navigates the story to keep you enthralled. The good news is the final book in the trilogy, the Mirror and the Light, was released a few weeks ago if you’re left wanting more.
