The judges of the 2018 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, have been announced.
The panel will be chaired by the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah and consists of: crime writer Val McDermid; cultural critic Leo Robson; feminist writer and critic Jacqueline Rose; and artist and graphic novelist Leanne Shapton.
Gaby Wood, Literary Director of the Booker Prize Foundation, says:
“This year’s judging panel is not only stellar in its distinction, its members have a stunningly broad range of tastes and enthusiasms too. They are all long-standing champions of creative work who will be open to any excellent novel that may come their way, regardless of genre or geography.”
The judging panel will be looking for the best novel of the year, selected from entries published in the UK between 1 October 2017 and 30 September 2018.
We have worked with the Man Booker Prize since 2016 to promote the books to libraries and reading groups. Hundreds of libraries and reading groups have been involved, and had an opportunity to discover the finest in new fiction.
For 2018, the ‘Man Booker Dozen’ of 12 or 13 books will be announced in July and the shortlist of six books in September. The winner of the prize will be announced on 16 October at an awards ceremony at London’s Guildhall, broadcast live by the BBC.
Next year, the Man Booker Prize will be celebrating 50 years of the finest fiction with year-long global anniversary celebrations. The flagship event, run in partnership with Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest arts centre, is the unmissable Man Booker 50 Festival from 6 to 8 July 2018.
2017 winner
Last year’s Man Booker Prize for Fiction winner was Lincoln in the Bardo by American author George Saunders, published by Bloomsbury. Libraries across the UK introduced the chosen books to their readers, and passionate reading groups read and discussed the shortlisted titles, both within their groups and with their wider communities.
Read what the Red Door Bistro Book Club, thought of Lincoln in the Bardo.
Read reviews of Lincoln in the Bardo and leave your own. Find out more about the book by downloading a free Readers’ Guide and a supporting booklist featuring similar titles.
Get involved
Share your thoughts about the Man Booker Prize on Twitter and Instagram using #FinestFiction and #ManBooker50.
Take a look at the full list of previous winners.
For more information, visit the Man Booker Prize website.
Read about the experiences of the six reading groups who shadowed the shortlist of the 2017 prize.
Keep up to date on all the latest reading group news – sign up for our free monthly e-newsletter.
You can listen to the brilliant Man Booker Prize podcast audio series on Soundcloud with Joe Haddow from Radio 2.
