M. John Harrison wins Booker Prize for The End of Everything

The 2026 Booker Prize went to M. John Harrison for The End of Everything. The ceremony took place at Old Billingsgate in London on 9 November 2026, and the result reached India in the early hours of 10 November 2026. Harrison was 81 years old, making him the oldest author to receive the award. He received £50,000 and a trophy, which David Szalay, the previous year’s winner, presented to him.

The winning book is Harrison’s thirteenth novel. It uses a future Britain altered by an unexplained catastrophe as the setting for a satire. At 198 pages, it was the shortest of the six shortlisted books. Mary Beard chaired the judges, while Serpent’s Tail published the novel and secured its first Booker win. The award identifies the winning author and book; the judge, publisher and presenter had separate roles at the event.

Facts to remember

• Winner: M. John Harrison, aged 81 years.
• Winning novel: The End of Everything, published by Serpent’s Tail.
• The ceremony took place at Old Billingsgate, London, on 9 November 2026 local time.
• The prize carried £50,000; Mary Beard chaired the judging panel.

Background

The Booker Prize began in the United Kingdom in 1969. Its rules allow writers of any nationality to compete with eligible fiction originally written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The separate International Booker recognises eligible fiction translated into English and honours the author and translator.

Why it matters for exams

For CLAT general knowledge and literary awards, match the author to the novel and distinguish the Booker Prize from the International Booker.