Booker Prize 2024 shortlist revealed - with history-making line-up
The shortlist has been revealed.
The Booker Prize 2024 has confirmed its shortlist this year, and it contains the most female authors represented since the competition launched.
Five of the shortlisted titles were written by women, while one was penned by a man.
The list also includes the first ever Dutch writer to be shortlisted and the first Australian author in 10 years.
To be eligible for the prize, the books must be written in English and published in the UK or Ireland.
The six shortlisted Booker Prize 2024 books are:
- James by Percival Everett
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
- Held by Anne Michaels
- The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
- Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
Get to know the six books below, and find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Booker Prize 2024 shortlist revealed - with history-making line-up
James by Percival Everett
What is James about? James retells the story of Huckleberry Finn, this time from the perspective of Jim.
What did the judges say about James? "Through lyrical, richly textured prose, Everett crafts a captivating response to Mark Twain's classic, Huckleberry Finn, that is both a bold exploration of a dark chapter in history and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
What is Orbital about? Six astronauts are on board the International Space Station, and though they have the privilege of seeing Earth as so few have, dreadful news from home prompts them to see the planet in a different light.
What did the judges say about Orbital? "Orbital offers us a love letter to our planet as well as a deeply moving acknowledgement of the individual and collective value of every human life." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
What is Creation Lake about? Sadie Smith is an undercover agent and must infiltrate a commune of radical ec0-activists in this comedic thriller.
What did the judges say about Creation Lake? "What's so electrifying about this novel is the way it knits contemporary politics and power with a deep counter-history of human civilisation. We found the prose thrilling, the ideas exciting, the book as a whole a profound and irresistible page-turner." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Held by Anne Michaels
What is Held about? A man returns from World War One and reunites with an artist, and when they reopen his photography business, he finds that ghosts of his past begin to show themselves in his pictures.
What did the judges say about Held? "Appropriately for a novel about consciousness, it seems to alter and expand your state of mind. Reading it is a unique experience." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
What is The Safekeep about? It's 15 years after World War Two and Isabel is a creature of habit - but all of that is thrown in the air when her brother brings back his new girlfriend, Eva. Isabel soon becomes infuriated by Eva's behaviour, but a discovery throws all she thought she knew out of the window.
What did the judges say about the Safekeep? "We loved this debut novel for its remarkable inhabitation of obsession. It navigates an emotional landscape of loss and return in an unforgettable way." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
What is Stone Yard Devotional about? A middle-aged woman leaves Sydney to return to her childhood home and live with a small religious community. But she receives three visitations plunge her into her past.
What did the judges say about Stone Yard Devotional? "The novel thrilled and chilled the judges – it’s a book we can’t wait to put into the hands of readers." Find out more about the judges' comments by visiting the Booker Prize website.
Shop the shortlist below:
- Buy James by Percival Everett
- Buy Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Buy Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
- Buy Held by Anne Michaels
- Buy The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
- Buy Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood.
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Authors
Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
