Booker Prize nominees: who are the favourites?
Margaret Atwood and Lucy Ellmann among the front-runners for the literary gong
Former winners Margaret Atwood and Sir Salman Rushdie are among the six contenders for this year’s Booker Prize.
The other nominees for the coveted literary award are Lucy Ellmann, Bernardine Evaristo, Chigozie Obioma and Elif Shafak.
Selected from more than 150 entries, the winner will be announced at a ceremony at London's Guildhall this evening. As well as having the honour of their book being named the best of the year, the triumphant novelist will also receive a £50,000 award.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Atwood's novel The Testaments is considered the favourite by the BBC. Set 15 years after her previous hit, The Handmaid's Tale, the dystopian drama is narrated by three female characters. The 79-year-old author previously won the 2000 Booker Prize for The Blind Assassin.
Sir Salman Rushdie’s Quichotte, the story of a travelling salesman who drives across America, “pushes the boundaries of fiction and satire”, says jury chair Peter Florence. The author won the Booker Prize in 1981 and made the shortlist in 1983, 1988 and 1995.
Bernardine Evaristo is also in the running with her fusion fiction story Girl, Woman, Other, telling the interconnected stories of a group of black British women.
Chigozie Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities is an African take on The Odyssey, following a Nigerian chicken farmer who travels to Europe.
Elif Shafak is nominated for her novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World, in which she tells the story of a recollections of a sex worker who has been left for dead in a rubbish bin.
Lucy Ellmann’s novel Ducks, Newburyport, is the most unusual contender. The 998-page tome is a stream-of-consciousness monologue that mostly consists of one continuous sentence.
The Guardian’s Alex Preston says “it’s a difficult year to call a winner” but says his money “is on Evaristo”. However, the Daily Mail says that Atwood is the likely winner, with Ellman the other one to watch.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For more arts reviews - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on what really matters - try The Week magazine. Get your first six issues for £6–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Bhutan hopes tourists will put a smile back on its face
Under The Radar The 'kingdom of happiness' is facing economic problems and unprecedented emigration
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Free app access for The Week’s subscribers during Royal Mail strikes
Speed Read If you have a subscription to The Week magazine you can read the digital edition on your tablet or phone
By The Week Staff Published
-
Comic Relief to end ‘white saviour’ celebrity trips to Africa
Speed Read Charity’s appeal videos described by critics as ‘poverty porn’ and ‘devoid of dignity’
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to star in ‘fly-on-the-wall’ Netflix reality show
Speed Read Former minister accuses couple of ‘exploiting’ royal links with big-bucks deal
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Royal officials to ‘scrutinise’ Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $150m Netflix deal
Speed Read Duke and Duchess of Sussex have inked agreement to produce documentaries and films for the streaming service
By Joe Evans Last updated
-
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pitch mystery project idea to Hollywood
Speed Read The Sussex royals have been shopping their concept around tinseltown since June
By Aaron Drapkin Published
-
Meghan Markle ‘furious’ over Palace’s failure to defend her ‘against true stories’
Speed Read Legal documents say she felt unprotected by the royal ‘institution’ - but insiders claim press team were powerless
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Ronan Farrow: is Harvey Weinstein’s arch-enemy ‘too good to be true’?
Speed Read Pulitzer-winning #MeToo journalist rejects New York Times columnist’s allegations of ‘shakiness’ in his work
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
How coronavirus could shape the news
Speed Read Trust in journalists is down as newspapers face funding crisis that could reshape media landscape forever
By Elliott Goat Last updated