Six books have been shortlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize for Fiction award.
The winner of the award will win a £50,000. The winner will be announced on November 26 and a ceremony will be held at Old Billingsgate in London, England
These six books were chosen from 163 novels published in the U.K. or Ireland from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. None of the authors selected have been shortlisted before. Every book that was shortlisted will get a £2,500 and a bespoke bound edition.
The 6 Books Shortlisted For the Booker Award 2023
- Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein (Canadian)
- If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery (American)
- This Other Eden by Paul Harding (American)
- Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Irish)
- Western Lane ( by Chetna Maroo (British)
- The Bee Sting by Paul Murray (Irish)
Six Books Shortlisted For the Booker Prize 2023
Two of the books that were shortlisted were requested specifically by the judges out of a total of 13 books. The remaining four were submitted by publishers.
“The best novels invoke a sense of timelessness even while saying something about how we live now,” said Esi Edugyan, chair of the judges, in a statement.
“Our six finalists are marvels of form. Some look unflinchingly at the ways in which trauma can be absorbed and passed down through the generations, as much an inheritance as a well-worn object or an unwanted talent. Some turn a gleeful, dissecting eye on everyday encounters. Some paint visceral portraits of societies pushed to the edge of tolerance. All are fueled by a kind of relentless truth-telling, even when that honesty forces us to confront dark acts. And yet however long we may pause in the shadows, humour, decency, and grace are never far from hand.”