M. John Harrison wins 2026 Booker Prize for apocalyptic sci-fi novel
The 81-year-old author becomes the oldest recipient in the history of the award, claiming the prize for his thirteenth novel.
By Alexei Brooks ·
M. John Harrison has won the 2026 Booker Prize for his satirical science fiction novel, The End of Everything. The award marks a distinct shift for the literary prize, which has historically favored realistic fiction over genre writing. Harrison is the first winner to emerge from the traditional science fiction world, a distinction that sets his career apart from previous laureates who merely borrowed elements from the genre.
The novel follows Philip, a man who searches for artifacts along the coast of Kent, England, and his aunt Marnie. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a slow invasion by shape-shifting entities known as iGhetti is underway. Mary Beard, chair of this year's judges, described the book in a statement as a work that turns readers upside down while raising a wry smile. She noted that despite the grim subject matter, the novel leaves readers with a sense of optimism.
Harrison, who is 81, is now the oldest author to win the prize. He has spent decades writing science fiction, with The End of Everything serving as his thirteenth novel. His 2006 book, Nova Swing, previously earned him both the Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick awards. In an interview with the Booker Prize team, he explained that the book was inspired by current affairs. He asked what happens when all of our expectations and explanations of the world become an ongoing disaster, but we still have to make a life.
Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, called Harrison a genuinely original thinker and a genre-defying writer who takes ideas seriously. She emphasized that while many past Booker authors used science fiction facets, Harrison is the first to come from the bona fide SF world. The Booker Prize honors the best fiction published in the U.K. and Ireland. The other judges for this year included poet Raymond Antrobus, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, editor and critic Rebecca Liu, and novelist Patricia Lockwood.
The shortlist also featured Marlon James' The Disappearers and Elizabeth Strout's The Things We Never Say. Winners receive a cash prize of 50,000 British pounds, which is approximately 67,000 U.S. dollars. They also receive a trophy presented by the previous year's winner. David Szalay, who won the 2025 prize for his novel Flesh, presented the award to Harrison.
The win concludes a competitive season for the literary award. The judges evaluated the nominated works based on their quality as fiction published within the target region. Harrison's victory brings recognition to a body of work that has long operated within the boundaries of speculative fiction while engaging with humanist themes.
