Irish writer Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his dystopian novel Prophet Song. The winning entry, which will get&nbsp;$63,000,&nbsp;is Lynch's fifth novel.

This is his first Booker Prize victory.

Terming it a soul-shattering work which the readers will not forget, the jury said it was a triumph of "emotional storytelling".&nbsp;

"With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment."

The novel, set in Ireland, imagines the country descending into fascism and tells the story of a family struggling to come to terms with a terrifying new world order where democracy remains a distant memory.&nbsp;

The novel's protagonist is&nbsp;Eilish Stack, a mother of four&nbsp;who answers her front door on a wet evening in Dublin&nbsp;to find the GNSB on her doorstep. Two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police want to speak with her husband.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Edi&nbsp;Edugyan, the chair of this year’s judging panel for the Booker Prize, Lynch's novel&nbsp;“captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings".&nbsp;

One of the fascinating aspects of the novel is that there are no paragraph breaks and quotation marks - which evokes a sense of claustrophobia in the readers, making it all the more visceral.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/web-stories/trending/9-indian-women-authors-you-need-to-read-as-1683638614014">Also read |&nbsp;9 Indian Women Authors You Need to Read</a>

<h2>Inspired by real political events: Lynch</h2>

After winning the prize, Lynch quipped:&nbsp;“Well, there goes my hard-won anonymity."

Lynch spent nearly four years writing Prophet Song and took inspiration from world events&nbsp;including Brexit and the rise of nationalism in Europe.

"This was not an easy book to write.&nbsp;The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career by writing this novel. Though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters," he added.

However, Lynch maintains that he did not intend to&nbsp;write a political novel or a straightforwardly “speculative” one.

“How can such a novel be speculative when what is happening on these pages belongs to the here and now?” he wrote in a recent article for the Guardian.&nbsp;

"I wanted to explore the nature of force, problems of choice and free will, and to pose questions about human dignity. The framing of the questions proved more important than the answers."

The Booker is open to works of fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)

Irish writer Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his dystopian novel Prophet Song. The winning entry, which will get $63,000, is Lynch's fifth novel. This is his first Booker Prize victory.

Irish writer Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his dystopian novel Prophet Song. The winning entry, which will get $63,000, is Lynch's fifth novel. This is his first Booker Prize victory. Terming it a soul-shattering work which the readers will not forget, the jury said it was a triumph of "emotional storytelling". "With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment." The novel, set in Ireland, imagines the country descending into fascism and tells the story of a family struggling to come to terms with a terrifying new world order where democracy remains a distant memory. The novel's protagonist is Eilish Stack, a mother of four who answers her front door on a wet evening in Dublin to find the GNSB on her doorstep. Two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police want to speak with her husband. According to Edi Edugyan, the chair of this year’s judging panel for the Booker Prize, Lynch's novel “captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings". One of the fascinating aspects of the novel is that there are no paragraph breaks and quotation marks - which evokes a sense of claustrophobia in the readers, making it all the more visceral. Also read | 9 Indian Women Authors You Need to Read Inspired by real political events: Lynch After winning the prize, Lynch quipped: “Well, there goes my hard-won anonymity." Lynch spent nearly four years writing Prophet Song and took inspiration from world events including Brexit and the rise of nationalism in Europe. "This was not an easy book to write. The rational part of me believed I was dooming my career by writing this novel. Though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters," he added. However, Lynch maintains that he did not intend to write a political novel or a straightforwardly “speculative” one. “How can such a novel be speculative when what is happening on these pages belongs to the here and now?” he wrote in a recent article for the Guardian. "I wanted to explore the nature of force, problems of choice and free will, and to pose questions about human dignity. The framing of the questions proved more important than the answers." The Booker is open to works of fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023. (With inputs from agencies)

Paul Lynch wins Booker Prize 2023 for his dystopian novel Prophet Song

South African playwright and novelist Damon Galgut on Wednesday won the 2021 Booker Prize for "The Promise", his third shortlisted novel which chronicles a family in his homeland from the late apartheid era through to Jacob Zuma's presidency.

Spanning several decades, the book shows the family's growing disintegration as the country emerges into democracy.

"I am really profoundly, humbly grateful for this," the 57-year-old said as he accepted the prestigious British award at a televised ceremony in London.

"It's taken a long while to get here and now that I have, I kind of feel that I shouldn't be here," added the author, who wrote his first novel aged 17.

"The Promise", about a white family with a farm outside Pretoria -- where Galgut grew up -- was tipped to land the prize ahead of the announcement late Wednesday.

The white South African writer has said he wanted the critically acclaimed novel to show how "the passing of time" impacts a family, a country, its politics and "notions of justice" -- all while also exploring mortality.

Speaking immediately after winning the Booker, Galgut paid homage to his home continent.

"This has been a great year for African writing and I'd like to accept this on behalf of all the stories told and untold, the writers heard and unheard, from the remarkable continent that I'm part of," he said.

"Please keep listening to us. There's a lot more to come."

Speaking to journalists a little later, he pointed out that this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature had gone to another African writer, Zanzibar-born novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah.

That "would suggest that perhaps the volume is going up in Africa," he said.

Galgut's win came just hours after the news that another African writer, 31-year-old Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, had won the Goncourt, France's top literary prize.

'Originality'

Galgut triumphed from a competitive and diverse shortlist of authors also spanning Sri Lanka, Britain and the United States, whose novels covered topics and tales from female pilots to modern day social media.

The prize, whose previous recipients include Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel, is one of the leading literary awards for novels written in English.

The winner receives a £50,000 ($68,000) prize as well as a career-changing boost in sales and public profile.

Maya Jasanoff, chair of this year's judges, lauded all the final contenders but singled out "The Promise" for its "incredible originality and fluidity of voice" and as a book "really dense with historical and metaphorical significance".

Critics have agreed. The New Yorker called it "remarkable", while South Africa's Sunday Times said "it's astonishing how much history Galgut packs into this short novel".

20th-century history

Other finalists included US writer Richard Powers, 64, whose novel "Bewilderment" is about an astrobiologist struggling to cope with his young son's behavioural problems.&nbsp;

Powers was shortlisted in 2018 and then landed the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction two years ago for his tree-themed book "The Overstory".

Another US writer, Patricia Lockwood, 39, was nominated for her debut novel, "No One Is Talking About This", featuring a 30-something obsessed with social media who has to deal with a shocking medical diagnosis.

Other books look back at 20th-century history.

Sri Lankan writer Anuk Arudpragasam, 33, in his second novel, "A Passage North", focuses on the traumatic legacy of the country's almost three-decade civil war that ended in 2009.

"The Fortune Men", by British-Somali author Nadifa Mohamed, 40, is based on the true story of a Somali sailor wrongly convicted of murder in Cardiff's multicultural port in the 1950s.

"Great Circle", by US novelist Maggie Shipstead, 38, tells the story of a fictional female pilot hoping to fly around the globe pole-to-pole, interwoven with first-person narrative from a Hollywood starlet playing her role.

This year's televised ceremony at the BBC's Broadcasting House in London was attended by all the shortlisted authors, after Covid restrictions led to video appearances last year.&nbsp;

Last year saw the most diverse shortlist in the prize's five-decade history, while judges in 2019 tore up the rule book by awarding it jointly to Canada's Atwood and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo.

South African playwright and novelist Damon Galgut on Wednesday won the 2021 Booker Prize for "The Promise", his third shortlisted novel which chronicles a family in his homeland from the late apartheid era through to Jacob Zuma's presidency.

South African playwright and novelist Damon Galgut on Wednesday won the 2021 Booker Prize for "The Promise", his third shortlisted novel which chronicles a family in his homeland from the late apartheid era through to Jacob Zuma's presidency. Spanning several decades, the book shows the family's growing disintegration as the country emerges into democracy. "I am really profoundly, humbly grateful for this," the 57-year-old said as he accepted the prestigious British award at a televised ceremony in London. "It's taken a long while to get here and now that I have, I kind of feel that I shouldn't be here," added the author, who wrote his first novel aged 17. "The Promise", about a white family with a farm outside Pretoria -- where Galgut grew up -- was tipped to land the prize ahead of the announcement late Wednesday. The white South African writer has said he wanted the critically acclaimed novel to show how "the passing of time" impacts a family, a country, its politics and "notions of justice" -- all while also exploring mortality. Speaking immediately after winning the Booker, Galgut paid homage to his home continent. "This has been a great year for African writing and I'd like to accept this on behalf of all the stories told and untold, the writers heard and unheard, from the remarkable continent that I'm part of," he said. "Please keep listening to us. There's a lot more to come." Speaking to journalists a little later, he pointed out that this year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature had gone to another African writer, Zanzibar-born novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah. That "would suggest that perhaps the volume is going up in Africa," he said. Galgut's win came just hours after the news that another African writer, 31-year-old Senegalese author Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, had won the Goncourt, France's top literary prize. 'Originality' Galgut triumphed from a competitive and diverse shortlist of authors also spanning Sri Lanka, Britain and the United States, whose novels covered topics and tales from female pilots to modern day social media. The prize, whose previous recipients include Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel, is one of the leading literary awards for novels written in English. The winner receives a £50,000 ($68,000) prize as well as a career-changing boost in sales and public profile. Maya Jasanoff, chair of this year's judges, lauded all the final contenders but singled out "The Promise" for its "incredible originality and fluidity of voice" and as a book "really dense with historical and metaphorical significance". Critics have agreed. The New Yorker called it "remarkable", while South Africa's Sunday Times said "it's astonishing how much history Galgut packs into this short novel". 20th-century history Other finalists included US writer Richard Powers, 64, whose novel "Bewilderment" is about an astrobiologist struggling to cope with his young son's behavioural problems. Powers was shortlisted in 2018 and then landed the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction two years ago for his tree-themed book "The Overstory". Another US writer, Patricia Lockwood, 39, was nominated for her debut novel, "No One Is Talking About This", featuring a 30-something obsessed with social media who has to deal with a shocking medical diagnosis. Other books look back at 20th-century history. Sri Lankan writer Anuk Arudpragasam, 33, in his second novel, "A Passage North", focuses on the traumatic legacy of the country's almost three-decade civil war that ended in 2009. "The Fortune Men", by British-Somali author Nadifa Mohamed, 40, is based on the true story of a Somali sailor wrongly convicted of murder in Cardiff's multicultural port in the 1950s. "Great Circle", by US novelist Maggie Shipstead, 38, tells the story of a fictional female pilot hoping to fly around the globe pole-to-pole, interwoven with first-person narrative from a Hollywood starlet playing her role. This year's televised ceremony at the BBC's Broadcasting House in London was attended by all the shortlisted authors, after Covid restrictions led to video appearances last year. Last year saw the most diverse shortlist in the prize's five-decade history, while judges in 2019 tore up the rule book by awarding it jointly to Canada's Atwood and Anglo-Nigerian author Bernardine Evaristo.

South African Damon Galgut wins Booker Prize for 'The Promise'

Douglas Stuart, New York based- Scottish writer, has won the 2020 Booker Prize. Stuart will be awarded 50,000 pounds as prize money for his autobiographical debut novel 'Shuggie Bain'.&nbsp; 
 
The book is a coming of age tale of love and alcoholism set in the 1980s Glasgow. Stuart beat five other shortlisted authors- including Indian origin Avni Doshi- to win the coveted prize.&nbsp; 
 
Stuart, 44, dedicated the book to his mother, who died of alcoholism when he was 16-years-old. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he moved to New York to start a career in fashion design. 
 
"I cannot believe this. Shuggie is a work of fiction but writing the book was extremely healing for me; hugely cathartic," Stuart said, adding that he was "absolutely stunned" to win the prize. 
 
"I always wanted to be a writer so this is fulfilling a dream. This has changed my entire life," he said in his acceptance speech on Thursday. 
 
As a designer Stuart has worked for various brands, including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Gap. He took up writing in his pare time nearly a decade ago.&nbsp; 
 
Dubai-based Indian-origin writer Doshi, who was shortlisted among the final six authors for her debut novel 'Burnt Sugar', lost out on the top prize. 
 
She was in the running for this year's prize alongside Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga for the third novel in her trilogy 'This Mournable Body' on a shortlist otherwise dominated by US authors - Diane Cook for 'The New Wilderness', Maaza Mengiste for 'The Shadow King' and Brandon Taylor for 'Real Life'. 
 
The 2020 Booker Prize judging panel was chaired by Margaret Busby, editor, literary critic and former publisher, and consists of author Lee Child; author and critic Sameer Rahim; writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist and translator Emily Wilson. 
 
Interestingly, Stuart's book was rejected by 30 editors before it was picked up by publishers Grove Atlantic in the US and Picador in the UK. 
 
Stuart has described himself as "a working-class kid who had a different career and came to writing late. He is the second Scottish to win the award after James Kelman took the prize in 1994 with 'How Late It Was, How Late' which incidentally changed Stuart's life as it was the first time he saw "my people, my dialect, on the page". 
 
The Booker Prize ceremony this year was very different due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The ceremony was broadcast from London's Roundhouse. 
 
All six shortlisted authors joined the ceremony via a special screen in the Roundhouse and the event included both virtual and in-person special guests including Barack Obama and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Douglas Stuart, New York based- Scottish writer, has won the 2020 Booker Prize. Stuart will be awarded 50,000 pounds as prize money for his autobiographical debut novel 'Shuggie Bain'.

Douglas Stuart, New York based- Scottish writer, has won the 2020 Booker Prize. Stuart will be awarded 50,000 pounds as prize money for his autobiographical debut novel 'Shuggie Bain'. The book is a coming of age tale of love and alcoholism set in the 1980s Glasgow. Stuart beat five other shortlisted authors- including Indian origin Avni Doshi- to win the coveted prize. Stuart, 44, dedicated the book to his mother, who died of alcoholism when he was 16-years-old. After graduating from the Royal College of Art in London, he moved to New York to start a career in fashion design. "I cannot believe this. Shuggie is a work of fiction but writing the book was extremely healing for me; hugely cathartic," Stuart said, adding that he was "absolutely stunned" to win the prize. "I always wanted to be a writer so this is fulfilling a dream. This has changed my entire life," he said in his acceptance speech on Thursday. As a designer Stuart has worked for various brands, including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Gap. He took up writing in his pare time nearly a decade ago. Dubai-based Indian-origin writer Doshi, who was shortlisted among the final six authors for her debut novel 'Burnt Sugar', lost out on the top prize. She was in the running for this year's prize alongside Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga for the third novel in her trilogy 'This Mournable Body' on a shortlist otherwise dominated by US authors - Diane Cook for 'The New Wilderness', Maaza Mengiste for 'The Shadow King' and Brandon Taylor for 'Real Life'. The 2020 Booker Prize judging panel was chaired by Margaret Busby, editor, literary critic and former publisher, and consists of author Lee Child; author and critic Sameer Rahim; writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay; and classicist and translator Emily Wilson. Interestingly, Stuart's book was rejected by 30 editors before it was picked up by publishers Grove Atlantic in the US and Picador in the UK. Stuart has described himself as "a working-class kid who had a different career and came to writing late. He is the second Scottish to win the award after James Kelman took the prize in 1994 with 'How Late It Was, How Late' which incidentally changed Stuart's life as it was the first time he saw "my people, my dialect, on the page". The Booker Prize ceremony this year was very different due to the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. The ceremony was broadcast from London's Roundhouse. All six shortlisted authors joined the ceremony via a special screen in the Roundhouse and the event included both virtual and in-person special guests including Barack Obama and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Scottish author Douglas Stuart wins 2020 Booker Prize as Indian-origin author Avni Doshi misses out 

British novelist Hilary Mantel unveiled the final instalment on Wednesday (March 4) of her Tudor trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith's son who rose to be King Henry VIII's most powerful adviser only to fall from grace and meet a gruesome end.

Hilary Mantel unveils final volume in award-winning Thomas Cromwell trilogy