M. John Harrison Wins Booker Prize at 81

British author M. John Harrison won the 2026 Booker Prize on 9 November for The End of Everything. At 81, he became the award’s oldest recipient, surpassing Margaret Atwood, who was 79 when she won in 2019. The prize carries £50,000.

About the winning novel

Published by Serpent’s Tail, the 198-page novel is Harrison’s 13th. Set on the near-future English coast, it follows beachcomber Phillip Tennent and his aunt Marnie in a post-apocalyptic world. Mysterious objects called iGhetti can imitate humans, raising questions about artificial intelligence. The novel was the shortest of the six shortlisted books.

The judging panel was chaired by historian Mary Beard, who praised the book’s expert writing and ambition. Harrison’s win was his first Booker shortlist appearance, despite a six-decade career. He is also described as the first author from the established science-fiction world to receive the prize. His earlier works include the Viriconium saga and Light.

The judges selected the winner from 163 entries. The shortlist also included novels by Marlon James, Douglas Stuart, Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard and Rebecca Perry.

Important Facts for Exams

• Booker eligibility distinction: The Booker Prize honours novels originally written in English and published in the UK or Ireland; the International Booker instead recognises translated fiction.
• Imitation game and consciousness: The Turing test, proposed by Alan Turing in 1950, assesses whether a machine can imitate human conversational responses, not whether it possesses consciousness.
• British New Wave science fiction: The British New Wave, prominent in 1960s science fiction, promoted experimental forms and psychological or social themes over conventional technological adventure.