The Booker Prize Podcast

Latest Episodes:

International Booker Prize 2024 Winner Special May 24, 2024

Show notes

Earlier this week, author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann were announced as the winners of the International Booker Prize 2024, for the novel, Kairos. Jenny and Michael join Jo and James to talk about whether their win has truly sunk in yet and what might be next, and administrator of the International Booker Prize, Fiammetta Rocco also joins to give some insight into how the prize works. It's our last episode of this season of The Booker Prize Podcast so make sure you don't miss this one – but all our previous episodes will continue to be available so you can listen whenever you want.

Find out more about Kairos: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/kairos

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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The International Booker Prize 2024 Shortlist (Part 2) May 16, 2024

Show notes

With under a week until the International Booker Prize 2024 ceremony, we're back with the second part of our deep dive into this year's six shortlist books. Listen in to hear what Jo and James think of the remaining three books on the list, common themes that run across the shortlisted reads and which book they want to see win the award.

In this episode Jo and James discuss:

Brief biographies of each author, and short summaries of each book
Their thoughts on the three books books discussed in this episode
The common themes running through these books
Which book they think might win

Reading list:

Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/mater-2-10
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/crooked-plow
Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/not-a-river

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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The International Booker Prize 2024 Shortlist (Part 1) May 02, 2024

Show notes

We're three weeks away from the International Booker Prize 2024 award ceremony, so we thought it was high time to take a deep dive into this year's six shortlist books. In the first of two parts, we're exploring three of the books on this week's podcast episode. Listen in to hear what Jo and James make of them, common themes that run across the shortlisted reads and how the International Booker can expand one's world through literature.

In this episode Jo and James discuss:

Their initial thoughts on the 2024 shortlist as a whole
The common themes running through these books
Brief biographies of each author, and short summaries of each book
Their thoughts on the three books books discussed in this episode

Reading list:

The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-details
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/kairos
What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/what-id-rather-not-think-about

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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Washington Black by Esi Edugyan: April's Monthly Spotlight Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Esi Edugyan’s thrilling novel follows the astonishing adventures of its titular character, Washington Black, whose escape from the brutal cane plantations of Barbados was only the beginning. Shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize and set to be released as a glitzy television adaptation starring Sterling K Brown and co-produced by Edugyan later this year, what better excuse to dive into the novel?

In this episode Jo and James:

Introduce our April Monthly Spotlight pick
Share a brief biography of Esi Edugyan and her work to date
Summarise the novel
Discuss the plot and their thoughts
Suggest the kind of reader who will love the book

Reading list:

The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by Esi Edugyan
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/half-blood-blues
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/washington-black
Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-amber-spyglass
Any Human Heart by William Boyd: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/any-human-heart
This Other Eden by Paul Harding: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/this-other-eden

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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Empire of the Sun or Hotel du Lac: The Booker vs the Bookies Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

In 1984, many assumed that J.G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun had the Booker Prize in the bag. But actually, it was Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac that clinched the prize in the end. This week, we're exploring the bookies' favourite vs the Booker winner to ask which book should have won: Brookner's short, quiet novel set in a genteel Swiss hotel or Ballard's long and action-packed autobiographical epic set in wartime Shanghai.

In this episode Jo and James:

Discuss the Booker Prize 1984 shortlist
Share a brief biography of Anita Brookner
Summarise the plot of Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac
Explore the characters in Brookner's novel
Share a brief biography of J.G. Ballard
Summarise the plot of Empire of the Sun
Who should read these books
Discuss their thoughts on both novels and which they think should have won the Booker Prize 1984

Reading list:

Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/empire-of-the-sun
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/hotel-du-lac
Small World by David Lodge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/small-world
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/flauberts-parrot
In Custody by Anita Desai: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/in-custody
According to Mark by Penelope Lively: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/according-to-mark

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-37-empire-of-the-sun-or-hotel-du-lac

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Announcing the International Booker Prize 2024 longlist Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

It's a big week in the literary calendar (if we do say so, ourselves), as we've just announced this year's International Booker Prize longlist. To mark the occasion, James is joined by Fiammetta Rocco, the administrator of the International Booker Prize, and Eleanor Wachtel, chair of the 2024 judging panel. Listen in as they discuss the prize, this year's longlisted books and why translated fiction matters.

Conversation topics in this episode:

Fiammetta shares how the International Booker Prize began, and how it works in tandem with the Booker Prize
The importance of translators
The surging popularity of translated fiction, especially amongst younger readers
What it's like to be a judge for the International Booker Prize
Common themes in contemporary literature across the world
The 2024 longlist

Reading list:

Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/not-a-river
Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/simpatia
Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/kairos
The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-details
White Nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/white-nights
Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/mater-2-10
A Dictator Calls by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-dictator-calls
The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-silver-bone
What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/what-id-rather-not-think-about
Lost on Me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/lost-on-me
The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-house-on-via-gemito
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/crooked-plow
Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/undiscovered

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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The Booker at the Oscars: The Remains of the Day Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

It’s the third and final installment in our mini-series where we revisit Booker Prize novels whose cinematic adaptations were nominated at the Academy Awards. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, which won the 1989 Booker Prize. Ishiguro’s moving portrait of the perfect English butler was adapted four years later by James Ivory, in a film which received eight nominations at the Oscars. Tune in to hear Jo and James discuss the novel – which also happens to be our March Monthly Spotlight – and its silver screen counterpart.

In this episode Jo and James:

Share a brief biography of Kazuo Ishiguro
Summarise the plot of the book, and share their thoughts on it
Explore the character of Stevens and the idea of dignity which he based his life on
Discuss the narrative devices Ishiguro uses throughout the novel
Delve into James Ivory’s adaptation, and the differences between book and film

Reading list:

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-remains-of-the-day
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/an-artist-of-the-floating-world

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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The Booker at the Oscars: The English Patient Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Welcome back to the second of our Booker at the Oscars mini-series where we explore Booker Prize novels whose silver screen adaptations went on to experience Academy Award success. This time we're revisiting The English Patient, the joint Booker Prize 1992 winner by Michael Ondaatje (the other winner was Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger) and its silver screen counterpart, directed by Anthony Minghella.

In this episode Jo and James:

Share a brief biography of Michael Ondaatje
Summarise the plot of the book, and discuss their thoughts on it
Explore the four main characters we meet in the novel
Delve into Anthony Minghella's film adaptation and the differences between book and film

Reading list:

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-english-patient
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/sacred-hunger
Black Dogs by Ian McEwan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/black-dogs
Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-butcher-boy
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/warlight
Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
The Histories by Herodotus
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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What makes a classic novel? Plus six Booker Prize classics Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

When does a book transcend from contemporary literature to a classic? Does someone have to confirm its classic status? And can all Booker Prize novels be considered classics just by being part of the Booker canon? This, and more, is what Jo and James are trying to get to the heart of in this week's episode. Listen in as they discuss what makes a classic novel and chat about which Booker books should be known as classics.

In this episode Jo and James:

Consider what makes a classic
Each pick three novels from the Booker Library that are – or should be – considered classics
Discuss the plots of their chosen novels and why they are deserving of classic status

Reading list:

Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/something-to-answer-for
A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-month-in-the-country
How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/how-late-it-was-how-late
St. Urbain's Horseman by Mordecai Richler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/st-urbains-horseman
Atonement by Ian McEwan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/atonement
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-remains-of-the-day
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-handmaids-tale
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/shuggie-bain
Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/schindlers-ark
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-english-patient
Autobiography by Morrisey
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/midnights-children
The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-siege-of-krishnapur
The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-conservationist
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/oscar-and-lucinda
The Ghost Road by Pat Barker: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-ghost-road
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/disgrace
Staying On by Paul Scott: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/staying-on
The Famished Road by Ben Okri: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-famished-road
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/cloud-atlas
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-line-of-beauty
Autumn by Ali Smith: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/autumn
Crudo by Olivia Laing
No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/no-one-is-talking-about-this
Waterland by Graham Swift: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/waterland
G. by John Berger: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/g

Read Alex Clark's piece, “Which novels in the Booker Prize archives should be considered classics?”: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/which-booker-prize-novels-should-be-considered-classics

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-33-what-makes-a-classic-novel

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The Booker at the Oscars: Schindler's Ark vs Schindler's List Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

It's Oscars season so we're off to the movies. Welcome to the first in a new mini-series where we explore Booker Prize novels whose silver screen adaptations went on to experience Oscar glory. We're starting with Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize 1982 winner, which also happens to be the first Booker-winning novel to become a film that won a Best Picture Oscar. Listen in as we dive into the book and its film counterpart.

In this episode Jo and James:

Share a brief biography of Thomas Keneally
Revisit the origin story of Schindler's Ark
Consider whether “non-fiction novels” are really novels
Summarise the plot of the book, and discuss their thoughts on it
Explore the character of Oskar Schindler
Delve into Steven Spielberg's adaptation, Schindler's List, and the differences between book and film

Reading list: