LONDON – Marlon James and Douglas Stuart, both Booker Prize winners, have returned to the spotlight as contenders for this year’s prestigious fiction award. Their works sit among tales of Dublin gangs, dystopian futures, and New England lives crafted by Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout. Judges reviewed 163 novels to select 13 semifinalists, a list described as literary ‘dynamite’ by Mary Beard, head of the judging panel.
James’ ‘The Disappearers’ tells of gay men in 1980s Jamaica. Stuart’s ‘John of John’ explores father-son secrets on a remote Scottish island. Strout offers ‘The Things We Never Say,’ a heartfelt small-town narrative. James previously won the Booker in 2015, Stuart in 2020, and Strout was a finalist in 2022.
Some new names also make the list, with authors from Britain, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Turkey, and the U.S. included. Debut authors Kenan Orhan, Rebecca Perry, and Djamel White showcase unique narratives. White, at 28, is the youngest candidate, while 81-year-old M. John Harrison, offers the rare science fiction entry, ‘The End of Everything.’
Other nominees include Chloe Aridjis with ‘The Shadow of the Object,’ Luke Kennard’s ‘Black Bag,’ ‘The Vivisectors’ by Missouri Williams, Emma Cline’s ‘Switzy,’ Makenna Goodman’s ‘Helen of Nowhere,’ and Gwendoline Riley’s ‘The Palm House.’
The five-member jury, featuring figures like Jarvis Cocker and Patricia Lockwood, focused on expanding literary boundaries rather than traditional Booker themes. They sought novels that incorporate humor, pathos, or shock, encouraging readers to see the world in new ways.
Mary Beard said, “They’re risk-takers. They are dynamite. They say ‘Come on, try seeing it a different way.’”
The Booker Prize, established in 1969, is known for elevating writers’ careers. Open to novels published in the U.K. and Ireland, last year’s award went to ‘Flesh’ by David Szalay. The judges will soon narrow the list to six finalists on Sept. 22, with the winner announced on Nov. 9 in a ceremony in London.
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