The shortlist’s collection of six fiction pieces was selected from 169 novels published between October 1st, 2021, and September 30th, 2022. The winner of the Booker Prize will be announced on October 17th at the Roundhouse in London in an award ceremony held in partnership with BBC.
The six authors nominated for the shortlist are a beautiful demonstration of diversity as they originate from four different continents, represent five different nationalities, and are equally men and women. Together, the six authors listed below have published over 75 pieces of work, including poetry, children’s stories, and short stories.
1. Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
2. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
3. Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
According to 2022 Booker Prize Judge (Chair) Neil MacGregor, all six nominations are “set in different places at different times; they are all about events that in some measure happen everywhere, and concern us all.”
4. The Trees by Percival Everett
5. Treacle Walker by Alan Garner
6. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Treacle Walker’s author Alan Garner is the shortlist’s oldest author, who will turn 88 on the night of the awards ceremony in London. Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These is the shortest book recognized for the Booker Prize Shortlist at a total of 116 pages. Small but mighty, Keegan’s piece went through nearly 50 drafts before reaching its final stage.
Curious about who made the cut from the Booker Prize longlist? Find out here.