Samantha Harvey's novel "Orbital," about astronauts on the International Space Station, won the 2024 Booker Prize.
On the morning of November 13th ( Hanoi time), the judging panel announced Samantha Harvey as the winner of the £50,000 prize (over 1.5 billion VND). According to The Guardian , Harvey is the first woman to win the award in five years, since Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo won the Booker Prize in 2019. When her name was announced, the author covered her face and wept, embracing friends and colleagues before going on stage to accept the award.
Judge Edmund de Waal commented Orbital (pandemic: The novel *Orbit * – about the journey of six astronauts from five countries on the International Space Station – was unanimously honored. Earlier in the nomination round, the jury stated that "the novel offers an unprecedented perspective in literature."
"As judges, we were determined to find a book that moved us," Orbital "This work fulfills that condition. With its poetic and insightful language, Harvey makes the world seem new to us," said Edmund de Waal.
In her speech, Harvey dedicated the victory to those who "preserve the Earth's environment, uphold the dignity of human beings and all other living creatures, and who advocate for and act for peace ." When asked what she would spend the prize money on, Harvey said she needed a new bicycle and wanted to visit Japan.
With 136 pages, Orbital It is only the second short book to win this award in Booker history, being four pages longer than Offshore By Penelope Fitzgerald – winner of the 1979 award. First published in November 2023, the novel was the bestseller on the Booker Prize shortlist, selling 29,000 copies in the UK this year. The story follows the characters through a day with 16 sunrises and sunsets, and is described by writer Alexandra Harris as "a subtle reflection on the Earth, its beauty, and human aspirations." Guardian .
Harvey said she had initially wanted to give up writing the novel because she thought no one wanted to hear a story about space from a female writer who had never been there. "I lost all courage, I think, I didn't have the authority to write this book," the author said. Later, she showed the manuscript to astronaut Tim Peake, who offered his support. Peak even asked her how she obtained information about space travel.
Samantha Harvey, 49, is a British novelist. She studied philosophy at York University and Sheffield University (UK), completed a Master's degree in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University in 2005, and earned a PhD in Creative Writing. The author has been featured on this list. final round She won the UK Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) in 2009 for her debut work. The Wilderness - Written from the perspective of an elderly man in his 60s battling Alzheimer's disease.
In 2009, Harvey was shortlisted for the Booker Prize with The Wilderness . Orbital This is her fifth work, following All Is Song Dear Thief and The Western Wind . She also published a memoir about insomnia titled... The Shapeless Unease in 2020.
Many readers agreed and congratulated Samantha Harvey on her victory. On the other hand, some argued that author Percival Everett of the book James Only those who truly deserve the award. Above On Instagram , some wrote: "Wrong decision. Percival is the winner," " James "That would be a better option."
Prior to the event, the work was referred to as a "rewritten version of" "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn " - predicted by experts to beat Booker. James Set in the 19th-century American South, like the original work, if Huckleberry Finn is the central figure in Mark Twain's novel, the protagonist in Percival Everett's story is James. The book sold 15,306 copies in less than a year.
The jury commented: "Percival Everett's work not only meets all expectations but also affirms his masterful storytelling style. Although the book is based on the plot of a classic literary work, contemporary readers fully understand and resonate with the universal characters, freedom, and justice it presents."
Booker Established in 1968, formerly known as the Booker-McConnell Prize or The Man Booker Prize, it is the most prestigious literary award in the English-speaking world. Last year's award went to a novel. Prophet Song by the Irish writer Paul Lynch. Alongside De Waal, this year's judging panel includes novelist Sara Collins, Yiyun Li, literary editor Justine Jordan, and musician Nitin Sawhney.
Since 2014, the organizers have allowed novels written in English and published in the UK by foreign authors to compete for the prize. Previously, only writers from the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland were eligible. In addition, the organizers established the International Booker Prize to honor international works translated into English and published in the US, UK, or Ireland. The winning work of the 2024 Booker Prize was selected from 156 books published between October 1, 2023, and September 30 of this year.
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