Introduction to the Booker Prize Winner
British-Hungarian writer David Szalay has won the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction for his novel Flesh, a story about a Hungarian émigré who makes and loses a fortune. The 51-year-old author beat five other finalists to win the annual literary prize, which honors the best English-language novel published in the UK or Ireland. The prize comes with 50,000 pounds in prize money and a significant increase in sales and awareness of the winner.
The Novel "Flesh"
Written in sparse prose, “Flesh” follows the decades-long life of a silent, working-class Hungarian. It traces his teenage relationship with an older woman through his time as a struggling immigrant in Britain to working for the super-rich in London. Szalay wanted to write a book with a Hungarian and an English ending, as he lived between the two countries at the time. He said, "Writing about a Hungarian immigrant when Hungary joined the EU seemed an obvious path. So in a sense it would be a novel about today’s Europe and about the cultural and economic differences that characterize it."
The Jury’s Verdict
The jury included Irish writer and former Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, Nigerian author Ayobami Adebayo, and others. The panel described “Flesh” as "a meditation on class, power, intimacy, migration, and masculinity, a compelling portrait of a man and the formative experiences that can resonate throughout a lifetime." Roddy Doyle, chairman of the panel, said, "We had never read anything like it. It is a dark book in many ways, but a joy to read." He also praised Szalay’s use of white space on the page, saying it invites the reader to fill the space and observe the character.
About the Author
Szalay was born in Canada, grew up in the United Kingdom, and lives in Vienna. The novel was his sixth work of fiction. He was previously shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 for his work, All That Man Is, a series of stories about nine completely different men.
Other Finalists and the International Booker Prize
Other finalists this year included “The Land in Winter” by Andrew Miller, “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” by Kiran Desai, “Flashlight” by Susan Choi, “Audition” by Katie Kitamura, and “The Rest of Our Lives” by Ben Markovits. A sister prize, the International Booker Prize, awarded to a book translated into English, was won by Indian author Banu Mushtaq for “Heart Lamp” and her translator Deepa Bhasthi. The international prize is divided equally between the author and translator.
