The Booker Prize Podcast
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A weekly podcast featuring lively conversations and fascinating insights from the Booker Prizes. Join us as we revisit winning novels from years past, speak to authors and experts from the literary world and peer behind the curtain of this year's International Booker Prize and Booker Prize.
Available episodes
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3 days ago
December Book of the Month: Any Human Heart by William Boyd
Sara Cox, host of BBC Two's TV book club, Between the Covers, joins Jo and James to discuss our December Book of the Month: Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Told through the journals of Logan Mountstuart, it's an engrossing – and often funny – novel that takes in many of the defining events of the 20th century and the people who shaped them. The Booker Prize 2002-longlisted book was recently discussed on Between the Covers, so tune in to our podcast as Sara, James and Jo talk about William Boyd's beloved novel, as well as Sara's own reading habits and inspirations.
In this episode Jo, James and Sara talk about:
The idea behind television book club Between the Covers
The variety of books guests have been bringing to this series of Between the Covers
The novels that got Sara into reading at a young age
Sara's favourite Booker Prize books
How Sara balances reading and her own writing – and whether what she's reading influences her work
What the book clubbers on Between the Covers thought of Any Human Heart
A brief summary of Any Human Heart and a discussion about its plot
Who they'd recommend the book to
Reading List:
Any Human Heart by William Boyd: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/any-human-heart
Life of Pi by Yann Martel: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/life-of-pi
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Pessimism is for Lightweights by Salena Godden
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
Catherine Cookson novels
Jilly Cooper novels
Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/paddy-clarke-ha-ha-ha
John Boyne novels
Margaret O'Farrell novels
Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/redhead-by-the-side-of-the-road
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-spool-of-blue-thread
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
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Nov 30, 2023
Behind the scenes at the Booker Prize 2023 ceremony
Step behind the velvet rope and let Jo and James take you on a VIP tour of the Booker Prize 2023 award ceremony. Listen in as they speak to some of this year's shortlisted authors and judges, as well as other guests at the ceremony and hear, first-hand, how the shortlisted authors felt in the run up to the announcement, how the judges enjoyed being part of the jury and what it feels like to be a guest at one of the most exciting events in the booklover's calendar.
In this episode Jo and James speak to:
Paul Lynch, 2023 Booker Prize winner
Paul Murray, 2023 Booker Prize shortlistee
Robert Webb, 2023 Booker Prize judge
Adjoa Andoh, 2023 Booker Prize judge
Graeme Macrae Burnet, 2016 Booker Prize longlistee
Frederick Studemann, literary editor of the Financial Times
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Nov 27, 2023
Bonus Episode: Live Reaction to the Booker Prize 2023 Winner
Hot off the press, we're bringing you The Booker Prize Podcast's reaction to the Booker Prize 2023 winner. Recorded at the Booker Prize award ceremony on 26 November, Jo and James share their thoughts on the winning book and hear directly from winner Paul Lynch and Esi Edugyan, chair of judges and previous Booker Prize nominee. That's not all for this week though, as we'll be back with a special episode in our usual Thursday slot.
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Nov 23, 2023
Shehan Karunatilaka's Booker Prize Year
We're only three days away from finding out who will take home the Booker Prize 2023 so who better to speak to than last year's winner? Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the prize for his searing satire The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida in 2022, and the 13 months since his win has been a whirlwind of activity. This week, Shehan joins us on the podcast to tell us all about the past year and what the 2023 winner can expect on the night of the award ceremony and beyond.
In this episode Jo and James speak to Shehan about:
What it's like to be at the Booker Prize award ceremony – and how it felt to be announced as the 2022 winner
The strangeness of winning the Booker Prize amidst economic crisis and civil unrest in Sri Lanka
The impossibility of making an acceptance speech in one minute
Why he paints his fingernails black
How he spent his prize money
The whirlwind that has been the 13 months since he won the Booker Prize
His daily writing and reading routine
Books and authors mentioned:
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Agatha Christie
Salman Rushdie
Raymond Chandler
John le Carré
Armistead Maupin
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Nov 16, 2023
November Book of the Month: The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch
Iris Murdoch was a prolific writer, completing 26 novels and several philosophy books in her lifetime. She still holds the record for most Booker Prize shortlistings (a joint record with Margaret Atwood) and the Booker Prize trophy has recently been renamed the 'Iris' in her honour. This month, we've picked The Black Prince, which was shortlisted for the Booker in 1973, as our Book of the Month. It's a part-thriller, part-love story that follows Bradley Pearson – an elderly writer with a ‘block’. Adding and contributing to his torment are a host of predatory friends and relations: his melancholic sister, his ex-wife and her delinquent brother, and a younger, deplorably successful writer, Arnold Baffin.
In this episode Jo and James share:
Their thoughts on Iris Murdoch's novels
Why Murdoch was an exceptionally funny writer, as well as a gifted one
A brief biography of Murdoch
A summary of The Black Prince
What they thought about The Black Prince
Who should read The Black Prince
Reading list:
The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-black-prince
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-sea-the-sea
Under the Net by Iris Murdoch
A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch
The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Nov 9, 2023
The Booker Prize 2023 Shortlisted Authors Live at Cheltenham Literature Festival
This week we're bringing you a special episode recorded live at Cheltenham Literature Festival in October. Tune in as James is joined by all six Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted authors and we get to hear all about their books, the varied inspirations behind them and why and how they write.
Reading list:
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
Chetna Maroo's Western Lane
Paul Lynch's Prophet Song
Paul Murray's The Bee Sting
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Nov 2, 2023
Exploring the Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist + Winner Predictions (Part 2)
As we hurtle towards the Booker Prize 2023 announcement later this month, we're continuing our deep dive into this year's shortlist. This week, in the second of two parts, Jo and James take a closer look at the remaining three books. Listen in to hear what they make of them and which book they think will take home the prize this year.
In this episode Jo and James discuss:
Chetna Maroo's Western Lane
Paul Lynch's Prophet Song
Paul Murray's The Bee Sting
Their winner predictions for this year's Booker Prize
Reading list:
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Oct 26, 2023
Exploring the Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist (Part 1)
We're a month away from finding out which title will take home the 2023 Booker Prize so what better time to take a deep dive into this year's final six? This week, in the first of two parts, we're exploring half of the books. Listen in to hear what Jo and James make of them, whether virtuousness is a desirable quality in these novels and what the shortlist says about the state of fiction today.
In this episode Jo and James discuss:
Their overview of the 2023 shortlist, and what it says about the state of fiction today
How these books would behave if they were guests in your house
The common themes that run through these novels
Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You
Paul Harding's This Other Eden
Sarah Bernstein's Study for Obedience
Reading list:
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Oct 19, 2023
A Halloween Special: Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
Spooky season is upon us. While the Booker Prizes' archive might not be filled to the rafters with tales of horror, Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny is certainly ghostly and horrifying – a perfect read for this time of year. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, Cursed Bunny, translated from Korean to English by Anton Hur, presents a collection of fantastically surreal stories that address the very real horrors of capitalism and the patriarchy.
In this episode Jo and James talk about:
Their own Halloween traditions
Bora Chung and her background in writing
The unexpected way the book found its way to western readers
The stories in this collection, and which are their favourites
Their theories on themes throughout the book and what the author is trying to say
Whether these tales of terror are going to keep them up at night
Reading list:
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur
Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith
Hags by Victoria Smith
Further viewing:
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook
Old Boy, directed by Park Chan-wook
Lady Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook
Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho
Memories of Murder, directed by Bong Joon-ho
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Oct 12, 2023
An Interview with 2017 Booker Prize Winner George Saunders
George Saunders is best known as a writer of short stories. In fact, he's often considered to one of the greatest living short story writers in the world. In 2017, however, he took home the Booker Prize for his first (and so far only) novel – the startlingly original Lincoln in the Bardo. The book follows Willie Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, as he succumbs to illness and ends up in the bardo, a limbo-like state between the living and the dead. This week, George Saunders joins James and Jo to tell us all about how winning the Booker Prize changed his life, his writing, and what makes a great writer.
In this episode Jo and James speak to George about:
What it was like to win the Booker Prize, and how winning affected his work
Why George decided to turn his hand to penning a novel – and whether he'll ever write another
The differences between novel writing and short story writing
How to write about historical figures without being trite
His popular Substack, Story Club with George Saunders, which explores the art of writing (and analysing writing)
Liberation Day, his latest collection of short stories
Why channelling one's charm is an important aspect of great writing
Reading list:
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
4321 by Paul Auster
Autumn by Ali Smith
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Elmet by Fiona Mozley
History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
Further reading:
George Saunders, The Art of Fiction by Benjamin Nugent for The Paris Review
My Writing Education: A Timeline by George Saunders for The New Yorker
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Oct 5, 2023
Our October Book of the Month: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police, translated by Stephen Snyder, is a haunting and provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020. On an unnamed island, things are disappearing and most of the island's residents are forgetting all about them. It starts small with hats and ribbons but it soon escalates. When a novelist discovers that her editor – who, for some reason, doesn't forget – is in danger from the draconian Memory Police, she concocts a plan to save him. Join us as we explore our latest Book of the Month.
In this episode Jo and James:
Share a brief author biography
Summarise the novel's plot
Consider whether the book is about totalitarian regimes or fascist politics, as many of the book's reviewers suggested, or whether it's about something altogether more mysterious
Discuss how translations may affect our reading of the book, in quite significant ways
Wonder whether forgetting is reall…
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Sep 28, 2023
The Sea or Arthur & George: The Booker vs the Bookies
Last week we crowned the best Booker shortlist ever and this week, we're going even deeper into that list. In 2005, the odds were on Julian Barnes to win the Booker Prize with Arthur & George but the judges chose The Sea by John Banville. Arthur & George traces the intersecting lives of an obscure solicitor and the world-famous creator of Sherlock Holmes, while The Sea follows a man attempting to escape a recent loss while confronting a past trauma. So, we're taking a closer look at both books and asking: who was right – the Booker judges or the bookies?
In this episode Jo and James:
Give plot summaries of Arthur & George and The Sea
Share a short biography of Julian Barnes and John Banville
Discuss the merits of each novel
Consider whether the bookies' favourite should have won the Booker Prize in 2005
Reading list:
The Sea by John Banville
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
The Accidental by Ali Smith
A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
Never Let M…
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Sep 22, 2023
A Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist Reaction + The Best Shortlist Ever
Following the Booker Prize 2023 shortlist announcement, Jo and James share a hot off the press reaction to this year's six finalists before heading onto the topic at hand: which year saw the best ever Booker Prize shortlist? To help Jo and James along the way, they're joined by Bob Jackson – a man who has read every single book ever shortlisted for the award. That's over 300 books, spanning from the Booker's inception in 1969 up to the present day. So, listen in and find out which shortlist gets crowned as the best one ever.
In this episode Jo and James:
Ask Bob to reveal his favourite (and least favourite) books from the Booker archive
Hear how Bob approached his quest to reading every Booker-shortlisted book
Discuss their contenders for which year's shortlist is best
Argue it out until just one shortlist is crowned the winner
Reading list:
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Prophet Song by Paul Lyn…
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Sep 14, 2023
Our September Book of the Month: His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
His Bloody Project tells the story of a fictional 19th-century triple murder in a remote crofting community, through the memoir of the accused and documents such as court transcripts, medical reports, police statements and newspaper articles. The book was shortlisted for the 2016 Booker Prize – and while Paul Beatty's The Sellout took home the award that year, His Bloody Project remained the bestseller of the bunch until the winner was announced. This week, its author Graeme Macrae Burnet joins us in the studio to tell us about the inspirations behind His Bloody Project, what it was like to be nominated for the prize again with Case Study in 2022 and what we can expect from him next.
In this episode Jo and James speak to Graeme about:
The plot of His Bloody Project and the real-life inspiration behind it
How the Booker Prize transformed his writing career
The power of ambiguity and allowing readers to make up their own minds
Why thinking about readers' reactions while writing ca…
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Sep 7, 2023
Back to School with Ian McEwan's Atonement
🚨 An advance warning that this episode features spoilers for Atonement.
September is here, which means it's the start of another academic year. So get out your brand new stationery and settle down as we head back to school... no polyester uniforms or exams though, don't worry. This week, we're taking a look at Booker-nominated books that feature on school syllabuses in the UK and, particularly, we're diving into Ian McEwan's Atonement. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2001, the novel explores how a young girl’s imagination runs riot with far-reaching and devastating consequences.
In this episode Jo and James discuss:
Their favourite Booker-nominated books that feature on school syllabuses
A brief history of Ian McEwan's writing career
The plot of Atonement
The characters and themes of the novel
How Joe Wright's film adaptation of Atonement compares to the books
The Booker Clinic: books to help quell homesickness
Reading list:
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Amsterdam by Ian…
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Aug 31, 2023
The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens – The First Woman to Win the Booker Prize
In 1970, when the Booker Prize was still in its infancy (its second year running, in fact), the prize was awarded to Bernice Rubens. Rubens was the first woman to win the award and is still the only Welsh person to ever win the prize. 2023 marks the centenary of Rubens' birth so, this week, we're taking a closer look at The Elected Member – a piercing novel that explores what happens to a respectable, close-knit Jewish family when their prodigious son becomes a middle-aged drug addict.
In this episode Jo and James:
Ponder the weight of being the eldest child
Share a brief biography of Bernice Rubens
Give a slightly spoiler-y summary of The Elected Member
Discuss whether parental expectation can turn from encouragement to abuse
Consider how love can be damaging
Wonder why Bernice Rubens has fallen off the radar
Decide who should read The Elected Member
Reading list:
The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens
Bruno's Dream by Iris Murdoch
Mrs Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel by William…
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Aug 24, 2023
The Sellout: The first American novel to win the Booker Prize
In 2014, the Booker Prize broadened its submission rules to allow books from any nationality, as long as they were written in English and published in the UK. This change in eligibility led to worries around whether American novels would dominate the award's nominations, but it wasn't until 2016 when Paul Beatty scooped the prize with The Sellout that the prize went to an author from the States. The Sellout is a biting satire on race relations told through its protagonist, who is on trial for trying to reinstate slavery and segregation – and this week on the podcast, we're revisiting the story.
In this episode Jo and James:
Consider what the inclusion of American authors and novels has meant for the Booker Prize
Share a brief biography of Paul Beatty
Give a slightly spoiler-y summary of The Sellout
Discuss whether the novel is an on-point laugh-a-minute satire or a relentlessly nihilistic trudge
Try to get to the bottom of what Paul Beatty is trying to say through this novel
C…
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Aug 17, 2023
An Interview with 2015 Booker Prize Winner Marlon James
Cast your minds back to the heady days of 2015... It's early autumn and Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life is hotly-tipped to scoop the Booker Prize but the judges award that year's prize to A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James – an epic novel inspired by the true story of an attempted assassination attempt on Bob Marley. This week, Marlon James joins Jo and James on the podcast to tell us how winning the Booker Prize changed his life, his writing, and what he's working on next.
In this episode Jo and James speak to Marlon about:
Why Marlon didn't think he was going to win the Booker Prize
How he spent his prize money
The reception A Brief History of Seven Killings received in Marlon's home country, Jamaica, versus further afield
Get Millie Black, the new original HBO / Channel 4 crime drama he's working on
TikTok and why reading is not the same as identifying as a reader
How he loves writing but hates coming up with ideas for new work
The new novel he's writing
R…
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Aug 9, 2023
Our August Book of the Month: Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
Muriel Spark was a prolific poet and novelist who was nominated for the Booker Prize three times over the course of her writing career. In 1981, Spark's Loitering with Intent was shortlisted for the prize alongside that year's eventual winner Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. The novel is a wonderfully gossipy and entertaining literary joyride which sees a would-be novelist takes inspiration from her life only to find the tables are mysteriously turned – and it's our August Book of the Month.
In this episode Jo and James:
Continue getting to know each other by chatting about the life event James would start his memoir with and Jo's favourite albums of all time
Share a brief biography of Muriel Spark
Give a slightly spoiler-y account of what happens in Loitering with Intent
Discuss how much of Muriel Spark's writing may be influenced or based on her own life
Consider why Muriel Spark is not as widely read now as she once was
Who should read Loitering with Intent
Reading l…
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Aug 3, 2023
The Booker Prize 2023: Longlist Reaction
This week, we're joined by Frederick Studemann, literary editor of the FT, to bring you a Booker Prize longlist reaction hot off the press. Listen in as Fred, James and Jo share their opinions of this year's longlist as a whole, and give you a flavour of each of the 13 books that make up this year's Booker Dozen: it's speed dating meets the Booker Prize.
Books discussed in this episode:
A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry
Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery
How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Pearl by Siân Hughes
All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.
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Jul 27, 2023
The Strange Case of Vernon God Little
What exactly is “a Booker book”? Some might jump to a specific kind of high-minded, serious fiction, while others argue for a broader definition inclusive of more mainstream titles. Over the years, the pendulum has swung between the two and in 2003, DBC Pierre's debut, Vernon God Little, was awarded the prize. In this episode, we take a closer look at the novel and why it was an unexpected winner.
In this episode, Jo and James talk about:
Their childhood reading inspirations
A brief – and slightly spoiler-y – summary of Vernon God Little
The reaction to its 2003 Man Booker Prize win
The author behind the novel, DBC Pierre
Whether Vernon God Little stands up to reading 20 years after its release
Books to read after reading Vernon God Little
Books and authors discussed in this episode:
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rudyard Kipling
Charles Dickens
Vladimir Nabokov
Virginia Woolf
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy by Philip Pu…
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Jul 20, 2023
Summer Special: The Booker Prizes Does Love Island
The sun is shining, the sea is glistening and we're heading off to Booker Island – our very own version of Love Island. This week we're pairing up fictional characters from novels in the Booker archive, so tune in to find out who's coupled up, who's getting mugged off and who's getting dumped in our quest to find the ultimate literary romantic couple.
Books discussed in this episode:
Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller
The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Us by David Nicholls
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Any Human Heart by William Boyd
G by John Berger
Mother's Milk by Edward St Aubyn
Normal People by Sally Rooney
A full transcript of the episode is available on our website.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/po…
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Jul 13, 2023
Why The Amber Spyglass is the only children’s book nominated for The Booker Prize
Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass is the third and concluding volume of the epic His Dark Materials trilogy – and might just be the only children’s book ever nominated for The Booker Prize. The story follows the journey of Lyra – a young girl destined to bring about unfathomable change in her world and beyond. It was longlisted for The Booker Prize in 2001, alongside Ian McEwan’s Atonement, David Mitchell’s number9dream and that year’s winner, Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang.
In this episode, Jo and James talk about:
The animal forms their daemons would take
A brief – and slightly spoiler-y – summary of what happens in The Amber Spyglass, as well as the previous books in the trilogy
Whether The Amber Spyglass is really a children's book
The literature that has inspired His Dark Materials
Whether more children's books should be in contention for The Booker Prize
The Booker Clinic: Books to rediscover the joys of reading
Books discussed in this…
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Jul 6, 2023
Introducing July's Book of the Month: The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Warning: this episode contains references to suicide.
The Vegetarian, an International Booker Prize winner and the first of Han Kang's books to be translated into English, explores shame, desire and our faltering attempts to understand each other. In 2016, the International Booker Prize moved from a bi-annual award recognising an author's body of work to a prize that celebrated an individual book translated into English, giving its author and translator equal billing – The Vegetarian was the first novel to win the revamped prize, and this month we're revisiting the story to explore it more deeply.
In this episode Jo and James chat about:
Jo and James' best and worst ever meals, spurred on by the omnipresence of food throughout The Vegetarian
A slightly spoiler-y account of what happens in the novel and whether it's about Korean society and the pressures faced by women living under the patriarchy... even though the author has stressed that this isn’t the case
Whether Yeong-hye, t…
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Jul 6, 2023
The Best Booker Books of All Time (Maybe)
In our first episode, our hosts – author and critic Jo Hamya and broadcaster and critic James Walton – get to know each other by discussing their favourite books from the Booker Library – the name we give to all the books that have been nominated for (or won!) the International Booker Prize and Booker Prize over the last 50-odd years.
This episode contains significant plot details.
In this episode Jo and James talk about:
Why No One is Talking About This, a novel that captures our deep entanglement with the internet through its blend of laugh-out-loud humour and beautifully-observed prose, could have won the 2021 Booker Prize.
Why Patrick McCabe's The Butcher Boy’ a 1992 Booker shortlistee that follows a young man's descent into madness in small-town Ireland, isn't a virtuous read but it is one that will blow your socks off.
Books discussed in this episode:
Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood
Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler
Th…
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Jun 29, 2023
Launching 6 July: The Booker Prize Podcast
Only one week to go until the release of The Booker Prize Podcast. We'll be revisiting past longlisted, shortlisted and winning Booker novels to see if they've stood the test of time. Sometimes our hosts will love them and sometimes, well, they might not... Stay tuned until 6 July.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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Jun 22, 2023
Introducing The Booker Prize Podcast
Launching on 6th July, this is a weekly podcast featuring lively conversations and fascinating insights from The Booker Prizes. Join us as we revisit winning novels from years past, speak to authors and experts from the literary world and peer behind the curtain of this year's prizes.
Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.
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