The Booker Prize was first awarded in 1969 and is considered one of the most established literary prizes; it rewards novels written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. Over the years, it has honored some of the most varied ranges of authors and narratives that reflect the changing landscape of literature. So, without further adieu let’s jump into this write-up to know about the booker prize winners of the last 10 years.
Booker Prize Winners List
1. 2015: “A Brief History of Seven Killings” by Marlon James
In 2015, Jamaican writer Marlon James won the Booker Prize for the first novel she’s ever written. It is a tightly layered, multi-vocal novel about an attempt to assassinate Bob Marley in 1976. James weaves a tapestry of voices spanning decades and continents: gangsters, journalists, politicians, and CIA agents. This tapestry creates a vivid image of Jamaica’s turbulent history. The novel came in for applauds for its plot structure complexity and depth that provided readers with a realistic graphic look into the violence, politics, and culture.
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2. 2016: Paul Beatty wrote “The Sellout
The “Sellout” is a satirical book by Paul Beatty. Its satire is sharp with trenchant wit, challenging readers to uncomfortable truths about race relations in America. The novel has been termed audacious, humorous, and pushing the boundaries of satire so that it does not shy away from exploring such deeply ingrained societal issues.
3. 2017: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders
George Saunders won the Booker Prize in 2017 with “Lincoln in the Bardo”. In 1862, the story revolves around the grief of President Abraham Lincoln on the death of his young son, Willie. This is a tale set in a Georgetown cemetery where Willie’s spirit becomes lost in liminal space “bardo” of Tibetan tradition with a chorus of other souls. Through voices that blend history and fiction, Saunders has written a beautiful meditation on love, loss, and the afterlife.
4. 2018: “Milkman” by Anna Burns
Anna Burns is the first Northern Irish author to win the Booker Prize, and she won it in 2018 with Milkman. The story is told by an unnamed 18-year-old girl whose relations with an older, politically powerful man known as “the Milkman” generate much gossip and scrutiny amid turmoil in Northern Ireland and the Troubles. It touches on themes that should encompass gossip, social pressure, and a general feeling of fear amidst chaos. Cr
5. Joint Winners in 2019: “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo and “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood
The Booker Prize of 2019 became the first joint winner. It was an unprecedented decision. The prize went to Bernardine Evaristo and Margaret Atwood. Evaristo’s “Girl, Woman, Other” is a tale of twelve characters – mostly Black British women and across different generations – which are woven together like a bright tapestry.
It is a story about identity, heritage, and the multiplicity of being Black British. This finally brings us to Atwood’s “The Testaments,” a sequel to her highly acclaimed novel “The Handmaid’s Tale,” bringing us back to the world of Gilead. Fifteen years after the events of the first book, it gives a new perspective on the regime through the narratives of three different women. The joint award celebrated both the innovative storytelling of Evaristo and the timely relevance of Atwood’s work.
6. 2020: Douglas Stuart – “Shuggie Bain”
Douglas Stuart’s novel, “Shuggie Bain”, won the Booker Prize in 2020. The book is set in 1980s Glasgow. It’s the story of a young boy called Hugh “Shuggie” Bain as he grows up in poverty with his mother, Agnes, an alcoholic. This is a powerful picture of love, addiction, and resilience against all odds as a snapshot of working-class life in Scotland. The gentle manner in which Stuart handled the characters and the gritty realism of the plot touched the hearts of both the audience and critics.
7. 2021: “The Promise” by Damon Galgut
South African author Damon Galgut won the Booker Prize in 2021 for “The Promise.” This novel traces the decline of a white South African family over decades against the background of the country’s political transition. The novel centers around a broken promise to a Black family servant and themes of family, guilt, and the legacy of apartheid. Through his masterful storytelling and nuanced exploration of South Africa’s complex history, Galgut was acclaimed by critics.
8. 2022: Booker for Shehan Karunatilaka’s “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”
Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize for 2022 for Sri Lanka’s “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”. This novel is based on a war photographer named Maali Almeida who ends up in the afterlife but has seven moons or days to solve the mystery behind his death, a chance he could do it with ease by navigating the complexities of the afterworld bureaucratic labyrinth. Satire, fantasy, and political commentary all come together against the backdrop of the civil war in Sri Lanka in this tale. Much of the praise for Karunatilaka’s innovative storytelling and treatment of the human cost of conflict.
9. 2023: “Prophet Song” by Paul Lynch
Irish novelist Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize 2023 on “Prophet Song.” Dystopian prose details how this Stack family copes as Ireland degenerates into an authoritarian state. Amidst all that social wreckage, the family constantly faces apocalyptic dilemmas and moralistic choices in resistive and survivable modes that the fragility of democracy imposes.
10. 2024: Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital”
Orbital will be an innovative novel to transport the reader outside of Earth’s confines. The book is set on the International Space Station and is an autobiographical account of six astronauts journeying from experiences of space adventure to self-discovery. It is deconstructive and insightful about being human, and isolation, and when talking about such intricate life dynamics in microgravity, it leads to a great exploration of being human. Notably, “Orbital” stands as the very first novel with a space set to win a Booker Prize expanding the horizons of contemporary fiction.
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Conclusion
All in all, this list of Booker Prize winners last 10 years shows the celebration of some of the best writers in the world
