British author M. John Harrison has won the prestigious Booker Prize for 2026 for his novel The End of Everything.
With this win, Harrison enters the record books as the oldest writer to win the Booker Prize in its history. He is 81 years old. The previous record was held by Margaret Atwood, who was 79 when she shared the prize with Bernardine Evaristo in 2019.
Key points- British author M. John Harrison, aged 81, wins the Booker Prize
- Breaks Margaret Atwood's 2019 record when she won at the age of 79
- Running at 198 pages, The End of Everything is the shortest shortlisted work this year
- Marks the third consecutive year that a British writer has won the Booker Prize
A concise 198-page work
Comprising 198 pages, The End of Everything stands out as the shortest shortlisted book in this year's competition. Set in a near future following a global catastrophe, the story revolves around two main characters.
This also marks the third consecutive year the Booker Prize has gone to a British author. Samantha Harvey won in 2024 for Orbital, followed by David Szalay in 2025 for Flesh, with Harrison taking the honour in 2026. The chair of the judging panel, Mary Beard, pointed out that this win underscores that science fiction literature must also be recognised as serious creative writing.
What next?
Following the award win, booksellers anticipate that reader demand and sales for Harrison's novel will rise sharply.
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