M. John Harrison takes 2026 Booker Prize with 'The End of Everything'
The 81-year-old science fiction writer beats out five other finalists, including Pulitzer winner Elizabeth Strout, for the 50,000-pound literary award.
By Jack Weber ·
M. John Harrison has been awarded the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel 'The End of Everything.' The 81-year-old British author received the 50,000-pound prize at a ceremony in London on Monday. He is the oldest winner in the award's history, surpassing the age record set by Margaret Atwood in 2019.
The novel is set on England's Channel coast in a near-future timeline. An unspecified disaster has fractured society and introduced mysterious alien entities to Britain. The plot follows a beachcomber who lives with his armed aunt and finds a shapeshifting artifact on the shore. The judges described the work as combining huge ambition with expert writing.
Harrison defeated five other finalists for the honor. The shortlist included previous Booker winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, as well as Pulitzer Prize recipient Elizabeth Strout. Stuart and James were the favorites among oddsmakers prior to the announcement. The selection marks a notable instance of a science fiction work winning a major literary prize, a category that has historically favored traditional literary fiction.
Mary Beard, the chair of the judging panel, explained that the book addresses current political realities through a futuristic lens. She noted that the story depicts a society undergoing a catastrophe that its members do not fully understand. 'What he does is to say, when the catastrophe comes, you won't know what's happening,' Beard said. She added that the experience of not fully understanding the events is exciting for the reader.
Harrison has worked for four to five decades to shift the perception of science fiction as a literary form. Before the announcement, he questioned why a well-written work of science fiction should not be considered literary fiction. The Booker Prize Foundation chief executive Gaby Wood stated that the organization has removed references to 'literary fiction' from its materials because all fiction is literary.
The judging panel met for four or five hours to make their decision. The group included poet Raymond Antrobus and singer Jarvis Cocker. Beard stated that the choice was unanimous after extensive discussion and debate. 'There was a lot of discussion and disagreement and debate, but nobody stomped off,' she said. The judges emphasized that the win was based on the quality of the specific book rather than the author's career.
The Booker Prize was founded in 1969. It is open to English-language novels published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Past winners include Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Arundhati Roy. David Szalay won the prize last year for his novel 'Flesh.' Harrison's 'The End of Everything' is his 13th published novel.
