The Oldest Winner in the Prize's History: Who Won the Booker Prize in 2026

British writer M. John Harrison became the 2026 Booker Prize laureate for the novel "The End of Everything" (The End of Everything). This is his 13th novel, in which the author combined dystopia and satire, exploring the limits of human understanding under conditions of social catastrophe. This was reported by on the official website of the Booker Prize.

The award ceremony took place on November 9 in London. The writer will receive a monetary prize of 50,000 pounds sterling.

The 81-year-old Harrison became the oldest laureate in the prize's entire history. For him, this is the first nomination and the first victory in the competition. He is also the first author to come to the Booker Prize from science fiction literature.

The novel tells the story of Philip Tennett and his elderly aunt Merny, who try to survive on the coast of Kent in the not-too-distant future. The events unfold after a mysterious catastrophe that led to the collapse of social order. Against this backdrop, mysterious shape-shifting creatures appear, which the book calls iGhetti.

Chair of the jury Mary Beard described the novel as a reflection of contemporary politics through the prism of the future. According to her, the book forces the reader to rethink familiar notions of the world, while leaving room for irony and unexpected optimism.

The winner was chosen by a unanimous decision of the jury from among six finalists. In total, the judges considered 163 works of fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The novel was published by the independent British company Serpent’s Tail. This is the first victory of this publisher in the history of the Booker Prize.

M. John Harrison (full name Michael John Harrison) was born on July 26, 1945, in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. He began writing as a teenager, and sold his first story in 1965. In 1969 he joined the editorial staff of the British science fiction magazine New Worlds, New Worlds and headed the book reviews and criticism section until the second half of the 1970s

Throughout his career, the writer worked with science fiction, fantasy, and literary prose. Among his well-known works are the novels Climbers, Nova Swing, and The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again. For the latter he received the Goldsmiths Prize in 2020, and Nova Swing was honored with the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 2007.

In 2025, Harrison was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature of Great Britain. He was also one of the judges of the Booker Prize in 2022. The 2026 victory became his first nomination and first award within this competition.