The Booker Prize 2022 shortlist has been announced by the Chair of Judges, Neil MacGregor, who has said the six chosen books ‘set in different places at different times [and] are all about events that in some measure happen everywhere, and concern us all’.
This six shortlisted authors represent five different nationalities and four continents, and the list features the oldest author to ever be shortlisted: octogenarian Alan Garner. It also includes the shortest book by page numbers to be recognised in the prize’s history.
The Shortlist
- Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo (Chatto & Windus, Vintage, Penguin Random House)
- The Trees by Percival Everett (Influx Press)
- Treacle Walker by Alan Garner (4th Estate, HarperCollins)
- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Sort of Books)
- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber)
- Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout (Viking, Penguin General, Penguin Random House)
What the judges said
The 2022 shortlist was chosen by the judging panel: cultural historian, writer and broadcaster Neil MacGregor (Chair); academic and broadcaster Shahidha Bari; historian Helen Castor; novelist and critic M John Harrison; and novelist, poet and professor Alain Mabanckou.
Neil MacGregor, chair of the 2022 judges, says: These six books we believe speak powerfully about important things. Set in different places at different times, they are all about events that in some measure happen everywhere, and concern us all. Each written in English, they demonstrate what an abundance of Englishes there are, how many distinct worlds, real and imaginary, exist in that simple-seeming space, the Anglosphere.
Gaby Wood, director of the Booker Prize Foundation, adds: ’When this year’s Booker Prize judges sat down to decide on their shortlist, every one of the 13 books on their longlist remained in such strong contention that they knew the meeting was likely to last all day. And indeed it did. This was not a day of arguments but of re-readings, re- configurations, relish.
‘The shortlist that eventually emerged shows great geographical breadth as well as linguistic and conceptual agility. Together, these six novels look at history and at the lives of individuals with wit, courage and rage, allowing us to see the world through many sets of supremely perceptive eyes.’
The 2022 winner will be announced on Monday 17 October in an award ceremony held at the Roundhouse and fully in person for the first time since 2019.
Get involved
This year, The Booker Prize launched an exciting opportunity for six book clubs to help rate and review the Booker Prize 2022 shortlist, and to have the chance to attend this year’s Booker Prize winner ceremony in London, as well as a host of other prizes. Find out more about the groups taking part.
What’s the best way to write a novel, especially one that’s good enough to make the Booker Prize longlist? The Booker Prize website team has been interviewing the authors on the 2022 longlist about their inspirations, how it feels to be nominated and, above all, their writing process. Reading these interviews might not unlock the secret of penning a future Booker winner, but you’ll learn more about the craft, dedication and passion (not to mention the personal quirks) that went into this year’s best novels. The Booker site has also published extracts from the opening chapter of each longlisted book, to help you decide which one to read next. If you’re still unsure, they’ve published a handy personality test, too, which selects a longlisted book for you based on your interests and reading habits.
Have you read any of the longlisted books? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter and Instagram, or click on the title above to leave a review.
For more information, visit the Booker Prize website.
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