The Booker Prize Podcast

Sara Cox, host of BBC Two's TV book club, Between the Covers, joins Jo and James to discuss our December Book of the Month: Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Told through the journals of Logan Mountstuart, it's an engrossing – and often funny – novel that takes in many of the defining events of the 20th century and the people who shaped them. The Booker Prize 2002-longlisted book was recently discussed on Between the Covers, so tune in to our podcast as Sara, James and Jo talk about William Boyd's beloved novel, as well as Sara's own reading habits and inspirations. In this episode Jo, James and Sara talk about: The idea behind television book club Between the Covers The variety of books guests have been bringing to this series of Between the Covers The novels that got Sara into reading at a young age Sara's favourite Booker Prize books How Sara balances reading and her own writing – and whether what she's reading influences her work What the book clubbers on Between the Covers thought of Any Human Heart A brief summary of Any Human Heart and a discussion about its plot Who they'd recommend the book to Reading List: Any Human Heart by William Boyd: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/any-human-heart Life of Pi by Yann Martel: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/life-of-pi The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Pessimism is for Lightweights by Salena Godden Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume Catherine Cookson novels Jilly Cooper novels Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/paddy-clarke-ha-ha-ha John Boyne novels Margaret O'Farrell novels Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/redhead-by-the-side-of-the-road A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-spool-of-blue-thread A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Step behind the velvet rope and let Jo and James take you on a VIP tour of the Booker Prize 2023 award ceremony. Listen in as they speak to some of this year's shortlisted authors and judges, as well as other guests at the ceremony and hear, first-hand, how the shortlisted authors felt in the run up to the announcement, how the judges enjoyed being part of the jury and what it feels like to be a guest at one of the most exciting events in the booklover's calendar. In this episode Jo and James speak to: Paul Lynch, 2023 Booker Prize winner Paul Murray, 2023 Booker Prize shortlistee Robert Webb, 2023 Booker Prize judge Adjoa Andoh, 2023 Booker Prize judge Graeme Macrae Burnet, 2016 Booker Prize longlistee Frederick Studemann, literary editor of the Financial Times A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hot off the press, we're bringing you The Booker Prize Podcast's reaction to the Booker Prize 2023 winner. Recorded at the Booker Prize award ceremony on 26 November, Jo and James share their thoughts on the winning book and hear directly from winner Paul Lynch and Esi Edugyan, chair of judges and previous Booker Prize nominee. That's not all for this week though, as we'll be back with a special episode in our usual Thursday slot. A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're only three days away from finding out who will take home the Booker Prize 2023 so who better to speak to than last year's winner? Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the prize for his searing satire The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida in 2022, and the 13 months since his win has been a whirlwind of activity. This week, Shehan joins us on the podcast to tell us all about the past year and what the 2023 winner can expect on the night of the award ceremony and beyond. In this episode Jo and James speak to Shehan about: What it's like to be at the Booker Prize award ceremony – and how it felt to be announced as the 2022 winner The strangeness of winning the Booker Prize amidst economic crisis and civil unrest in Sri Lanka The impossibility of making an acceptance speech in one minute Why he paints his fingernails black How he spent his prize money The whirlwind that has been the 13 months since he won the Booker Prize His daily writing and reading routine Books and authors mentioned: The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka Agatha Christie Salman Rushdie Raymond Chandler John le Carré Armistead Maupin A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iris Murdoch was a prolific writer, completing 26 novels and several philosophy books in her lifetime. She still holds the record for most Booker Prize shortlistings (a joint record with Margaret Atwood) and the Booker Prize trophy has recently been renamed the 'Iris' in her honour. This month, we've picked The Black Prince, which was shortlisted for the Booker in 1973, as our Book of the Month. It's a part-thriller, part-love story that follows Bradley Pearson – an elderly writer with a ‘block’. Adding and contributing to his torment are a host of predatory friends and relations: his melancholic sister, his ex-wife and her delinquent brother, and a younger, deplorably successful writer, Arnold Baffin. In this episode Jo and James share: Their thoughts on Iris Murdoch's novels Why Murdoch was an exceptionally funny writer, as well as a gifted one A brief biography of Murdoch A summary of The Black Prince What they thought about The Black Prince Who should read The Black Prince Reading list: The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-black-prince The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-sea-the-sea Under the Net by Iris Murdoch A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're bringing you a special episode recorded live at Cheltenham Literature Festival in October. Tune in as James is joined by all six Booker Prize 2023 shortlisted authors and we get to hear all about their books, the varied inspirations behind them and why and how they write. Reading list: If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery This Other Eden by Paul Harding Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein Chetna Maroo's Western Lane Paul Lynch's Prophet Song Paul Murray's The Bee Sting A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we hurtle towards the Booker Prize 2023 announcement later this month, we're continuing our deep dive into this year's shortlist. This week, in the second of two parts, Jo and James take a closer look at the remaining three books. Listen in to hear what they make of them and which book they think will take home the prize this year.   In this episode Jo and James discuss: Chetna Maroo's Western Lane Paul Lynch's Prophet Song Paul Murray's The Bee Sting Their winner predictions for this year's Booker Prize Reading list: Western Lane by Chetna Maroo Prophet Song by Paul Lynch The Bee Sting by Paul Murray A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're a month away from finding out which title will take home the 2023 Booker Prize so what better time to take a deep dive into this year's final six? This week, in the first of two parts, we're exploring half of the books. Listen in to hear what Jo and James make of them, whether virtuousness is a desirable quality in these novels and what the shortlist says about the state of fiction today.   In this episode Jo and James discuss: Their overview of the 2023 shortlist, and what it says about the state of fiction today How these books would behave if they were guests in your house The common themes that run through these novels Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You Paul Harding's This Other Eden Sarah Bernstein's Study for Obedience Reading list: If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery This Other Eden by Paul Harding Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spooky season is upon us. While the Booker Prizes' archive might not be filled to the rafters with tales of horror, Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny is certainly ghostly and horrifying – a perfect read for this time of year. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, Cursed Bunny, translated from Korean to English by Anton Hur, presents a collection of fantastically surreal stories that address the very real horrors of capitalism and the patriarchy. In this episode Jo and James talk about: Their own Halloween traditions Bora Chung and her background in writing The unexpected way the book found its way to western readers The stories in this collection, and which are their favourites Their theories on themes throughout the book and what the author is trying to say Whether these tales of terror are going to keep them up at night Reading list: Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith Hags by Victoria Smith Further viewing: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook Old Boy, directed by Park Chan-wook Lady Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho Memories of Murder, directed by Bong Joon-ho A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

George Saunders is best known as a writer of short stories. In fact, he's often considered to one of the greatest living short story writers in the world. In 2017, however, he took home the Booker Prize for his first (and so far only) novel – the startlingly original Lincoln in the Bardo. The book follows Willie Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, as he succumbs to illness and ends up in the bardo, a limbo-like state between the living and the dead. This week, George Saunders joins James and Jo to tell us all about how winning the Booker Prize changed his life, his writing, and what makes a great writer. In this episode Jo and James speak to George about: What it was like to win the Booker Prize, and how winning affected his work Why George decided to turn his hand to penning a novel – and whether he'll ever write another The differences between novel writing and short story writing How to write about historical figures without being trite His popular Substack, Story Club with George Saunders, which explores the art of writing (and analysing writing) Liberation Day, his latest collection of short stories Why channelling one's charm is an important aspect of great writing Reading list: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 4321 by Paul Auster Autumn by Ali Smith Exit West by Mohsin Hamid Elmet by Fiona Mozley History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund Further reading: George Saunders, The Art of Fiction by Benjamin Nugent for The Paris Review My Writing Education: A Timeline by George Saunders for The New Yorker A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police, translated by Stephen Snyder, is a haunting and provocative fable about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020. On an unnamed island, things are disappearing and most of the island's residents are forgetting all about them. It starts small with hats and ribbons but it soon escalates. When a novelist discovers that her editor – who, for some reason, doesn't forget – is in danger from the draconian Memory Police, she concocts a plan to save him. Join us as we explore our latest Book of the Month. In this episode Jo and James: Share a brief author biography Summarise the novel's plot Consider whether the book is about totalitarian regimes or fascist politics, as many of the book's reviewers suggested, or whether it's about something altogether more mysterious Discuss how translations may affect our reading of the book, in quite significant ways Wonder whether forgetting is really that bad Suggest who should read the book Reading list: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi Further reading: A profile of Yoko Ogawa in The New York Times A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week we crowned the best Booker shortlist ever and this week, we're going even deeper into that list. In 2005, the odds were on Julian Barnes to win the Booker Prize with Arthur & George but the judges chose The Sea by John Banville. Arthur & George traces the intersecting lives of an obscure solicitor and the world-famous creator of Sherlock Holmes, while The Sea follows a man attempting to escape a recent loss while confronting a past trauma. So, we're taking a closer look at both books and asking: who was right – the Booker judges or the bookies? In this episode Jo and James: Give plot summaries of Arthur & George and The Sea Share a short biography of Julian Barnes and John Banville Discuss the merits of each novel Consider whether the bookies' favourite should have won the Booker Prize in 2005 Reading list: The Sea by John Banville Arthur & George by Julian Barnes On Beauty by Zadie Smith The Accidental by Ali Smith A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie In the Fold by Rachel Cusk A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel Saturday by Ian McEwan Further resources: How do you place a winning bet on the Booker Prize? via The Atlantic A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the Booker Prize 2023 shortlist announcement, Jo and James share a hot off the press reaction to this year's six finalists before heading onto the topic at hand: which year saw the best ever Booker Prize shortlist? To help Jo and James along the way, they're joined by Bob Jackson – a man who has read every single book ever shortlisted for the award. That's over 300 books, spanning from the Booker's inception in 1969 up to the present day. So, listen in and find out which shortlist gets crowned as the best one ever. In this episode Jo and James: Ask Bob to reveal his favourite (and least favourite) books from the Booker archive Hear how Bob approached his quest to reading every Booker-shortlisted book Discuss their contenders for which year's shortlist is best Argue it out until just one shortlist is crowned the winner Reading list: Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery This Other Eden by Paul Harding Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Western Lane by Chetna Maroo The Bee Sting by Paul Murray The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan How late it was, how late by James Kelman A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara The Bone People by Keri Hulme The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing Last Letters from Hav by Jan Morris The Good Apprentice by Iris Murdoch The Battle of Pollocks Crossing by J.L. Carr Illywhacker by Peter Carey A Disaffection by James Kelman Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood Restoration by Rose Tremain The Book of Evidence by John Banville Jigsaw by Sybille Bedford The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes Small World by David Lodge Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner In Custody by Anita Desai According to Mark by Penelope Lively The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi The Keepers of Truth by Michael Collins When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro English Passengers by Matthew Kneale The Deposition of Father McGreevy by Brian O'Doherty Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien Hot Milk by Deborah Levy Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh All That Man Is by David Szalay His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet The Sellout by Paul Beatty The Sea by John Banville Arthur & George by Julian Barnes Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro On Beauty by Zadie Smith A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry The Accidental by Ali Smith Join the Booker Prize Book Club to connect with readers from across the world about all things Booker Prize 2023 and beyond. A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

His Bloody Project tells the story of a fictional 19th-century triple murder in a remote crofting community, through the memoir of the accused and documents such as court transcripts, medical reports, police statements and newspaper articles. The book was shortlisted for the 2016 Booker Prize – and while Paul Beatty's The Sellout took home the award that year, His Bloody Project remained the bestseller of the bunch until the winner was announced. This week, its author Graeme Macrae Burnet joins us in the studio to tell us about the inspirations behind His Bloody Project, what it was like to be nominated for the prize again with Case Study in 2022 and what we can expect from him next. In this episode Jo and James speak to Graeme about: The plot of His Bloody Project and the real-life inspiration behind it How the Booker Prize transformed his writing career The power of ambiguity and allowing readers to make up their own minds Why thinking about readers' reactions while writing can undermine the authenticity of a story Why he doesn't plan his novels, so the process of writing remains somewhat of a mystery His lifelong fascination with the idea of madness and how views of mental health have changed over the centuries What we can expect from him next Reading list: His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet The Sellout by Paul Beatty Hot Milk by Deborah Levy Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh All That Man Is by David Szalay Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien I, Pierre Riviére, Having Slaughtered My Mother, My Sister, and My Brother edited by Michel Foucault Madness and Civilization by Michel Foucault Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🚨 An advance warning that this episode features spoilers for Atonement. September is here, which means it's the start of another academic year. So get out your brand new stationery and settle down as we head back to school... no polyester uniforms or exams though, don't worry. This week, we're taking a look at Booker-nominated books that feature on school syllabuses in the UK and, particularly, we're diving into Ian McEwan's Atonement. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2001, the novel explores how a young girl’s imagination runs riot with far-reaching and devastating consequences. In this episode Jo and James discuss: Their favourite Booker-nominated books that feature on school syllabuses A brief history of Ian McEwan's writing career The plot of Atonement The characters and themes of the novel How Joe Wright's film adaptation of Atonement compares to the books The Booker Clinic: books to help quell homesickness Reading list: Atonement by Ian McEwan Amsterdam by Ian McEwan Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Saturday by Ian McEwan Spies by Michael Frayn Brick Lane by Monica Ali Waterland by Graham Swift Love and Summer by William Trevor Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey Oxygen by Andrew Miller number9dream by David Mitchell Hotel World by Ali Smith Now We Shall Be Entirely Free by Andrew Miller The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert Black Dogs by Ian McEwan On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan Enduring Love by Ian McEwan Further Resources: Ian McEwan on BBC Radio 4's This Cultural Life Ian McEwan on his novels as A-Level set texts via The Guardian A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1970, when the Booker Prize was still in its infancy (its second year running, in fact), the prize was awarded to Bernice Rubens. Rubens was the first woman to win the award and is still the only Welsh person to ever win the prize. 2023 marks the centenary of Rubens' birth so, this week, we're taking a closer look at The Elected Member – a piercing novel that explores what happens to a respectable, close-knit Jewish family when their prodigious son becomes a middle-aged drug addict. In this episode Jo and James: Ponder the weight of being the eldest child Share a brief biography of Bernice Rubens Give a slightly spoiler-y summary of The Elected Member Discuss whether parental expectation can turn from encouragement to abuse Consider how love can be damaging Wonder why Bernice Rubens has fallen off the radar Decide who should read The Elected Member Reading list: The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens Bruno's Dream by Iris Murdoch Mrs Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel by William Trevor Eva Trout by Elizabeth Bowen The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles When I Grow Up by Bernice Rubens The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis In Transit by Brigid Brophy The Fire-Dwellers by Margaret Laurence The Hungry Grass by Richard Power Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2014, the Booker Prize broadened its submission rules to allow books from any nationality, as long as they were written in English and published in the UK. This change in eligibility led to worries around whether American novels would dominate the award's nominations, but it wasn't until 2016 when Paul Beatty scooped the prize with The Sellout that the prize went to an author from the States. The Sellout is a biting satire on race relations told through its protagonist, who is on trial for trying to reinstate slavery and segregation – and this week on the podcast, we're revisiting the story. In this episode Jo and James: Consider what the inclusion of American authors and novels has meant for the Booker Prize Share a brief biography of Paul Beatty Give a slightly spoiler-y summary of The Sellout Discuss whether the novel is an on-point laugh-a-minute satire or a relentlessly nihilistic trudge Try to get to the bottom of what Paul Beatty is trying to say through this novel Chat about whether the question of who something is for can really be answered authentically Suggest who should read The Sellout Reading list: The White Boy Shuffle Tuff Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor Slumberland The Sellout Further resources: Paul Beatty's 2016 Booker Prize acceptance speech Dear Britain, please take your Booker Prize back home by Ron Charles for The Washington Post A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cast your minds back to the heady days of 2015... It's early autumn and Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life is hotly-tipped to scoop the Booker Prize but the judges award that year's prize to A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James – an epic novel inspired by the true story of an attempted assassination attempt on Bob Marley. This week, Marlon James joins Jo and James on the podcast to tell us how winning the Booker Prize changed his life, his writing, and what he's working on next. In this episode Jo and James speak to Marlon about: Why Marlon didn't think he was going to win the Booker Prize How he spent his prize money The reception A Brief History of Seven Killings received in Marlon's home country, Jamaica, versus further afield Get Millie Black, the new original HBO / Channel 4 crime drama he's working on TikTok and why reading is not the same as identifying as a reader How he loves writing but hates coming up with ideas for new work The new novel he's writing Reading list: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James Satin Island by Tom McCarthy The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara Further resources: Marlon and Jake Read Dead People A 10th anniversary edition of A Brief History of Seven Killings will be published, with a new introduction, in June 2024. A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Muriel Spark was a prolific poet and novelist who was nominated for the Booker Prize three times over the course of her writing career. In 1981, Spark's Loitering with Intent was shortlisted for the prize alongside that year's eventual winner Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. The novel is a wonderfully gossipy and entertaining literary joyride which sees a would-be novelist takes inspiration from her life only to find the tables are mysteriously turned – and it's our August Book of the Month. In this episode Jo and James: Continue getting to know each other by chatting about the life event James would start his memoir with and Jo's favourite albums of all time Share a brief biography of Muriel Spark Give a slightly spoiler-y account of what happens in Loitering with Intent Discuss how much of Muriel Spark's writing may be influenced or based on her own life Consider why Muriel Spark is not as widely read now as she once was Who should read Loitering with Intent Reading list: Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark The Public Image by Muriel Spark The Ballad of Peckham Rye by Muriel Spark Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie The Comfort of Strangers by Ian McEwan A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're joined by Frederick Studemann, literary editor of the FT, to bring you a Booker Prize longlist reaction hot off the press. Listen in as Fred, James and Jo share their opinions of this year's longlist as a whole, and give you a flavour of each of the 13 books that make up this year's Booker Dozen: it's speed dating meets the Booker Prize. Books discussed in this episode: A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney This Other Eden by Paul Harding Pearl by Siân Hughes All the Little Bird-Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow Prophet Song by Paul Lynch In Ascension by Martin MacInnes Western Lane by Chetna Maroo The Bee Sting by Paul Murray The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng A full transcript of the episode is available at our website. Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices