The Man Booker Prize is an award given each year for the best original novel written in the English language and published in the UK. The award is very prestigious and notable winners include the likes of Thomas Keneally for Schindler’s Ark, Michael Ondaatje for The English Patient, and Margaret Atwood for The Blind Assassin.
The Man Booker Prize was first established in 1969 and, to celebrate its upcoming 50th anniversary, a one-off award is set to be given to the writer of the best work of fiction from the last five decades. The candidates have been chosen by five judges, but the final say will be given to the public who can vote for the writer they deem most deserving.
The panel of judges is made up of writer and editor Robert McCrum (1970s); poet Lemn Sissay MBE (1980s); novelist Kamila Shamsie (1990s); broadcaster and novelist Simon Mayo (2000s); and poet Hollie McNish (2010s). They will be reading each winner from the past 50 years and will decide which ones will be elected to be voted on as the overall winner.
If you’re interested in following the award, and having your say when it comes time for voting, then you can follow the dates below:
Saturday 26 May – The judges’ ‘Golden Five’ shortlist will be announced at an event at the Hay Festival.
Saturday 26 May to Monday 25 June – Voting for the Golden Man Booker is open to the public on the website.
Sunday 8 July – The winner of the Golden Man Booker will announced at the Man Booker 50 Festival at Southbank Centre.
The For Reading Addicts Book of the Year 2023
Robert Maxwell Biography Among Costa Book Award Winners
Female winner of 1m Euro literary prize turns out to be three men
Marcus Rashford Named FutureBook Person of the Year
2021 Nobel Prize Winner Announced
2021 Kindle Storyteller Shortlist Announced!