M. John Harrison Wins 2026 Booker Prize for Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
The 81-year-old author becomes the oldest recipient of the British literary award for his novel 'The End of Everything.'
By Samir Doyle ·
M. John Harrison has claimed the 2026 Booker Prize, securing the major British literary honor with his satirical science fiction novel The End of Everything. The award recognizes the best fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the year.
The prize comes with a cash award of £50,000, which converts to approximately $67,000. The winner also receives a trophy presented by the previous year’s laureate. David Szalay, who won the 2025 prize with his novel Flesh, presented the trophy to Harrison.
At 81 years old, Harrison is the oldest author to win the award in its history. He has published 13 novels over a career that spans decades, primarily within the science fiction genre. His 2006 novel Nova Swing received the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award, marking him as a respected figure in speculative fiction before this latest achievement.
The novel follows a man named Philip and his aunt Marnie as they search for artifacts along the coast of Kent, England. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the world faces a slow invasion by shape-shifting entities known as the iGhetti. Harrison stated in an interview that he drew inspiration from current affairs, asking what happens when expectations of the world become an ongoing disaster while people still must make a life.
Mary Beard, chair of this year’s judges, described the book as a work that turns readers upside down and raises a wry smile. She noted that despite the subject matter, the novel leaves the reader with a twinge of optimism. The judging panel also included poet Raymond Antrobus, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, editor Rebecca Liu, and novelist Patricia Lockwood.
Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, highlighted that while past winners have borrowed elements of science fiction, Harrison is the first winner to emerge directly from the science fiction world. She called him a genuinely original thinker and a genre-defying writer who takes ideas seriously.
Harrison defeated other shortlisted authors including Marlon James, who wrote The Disappearers, and Elizabeth Strout, who wrote The Things We Never Say. The result cements the novel's place in the literary canon alongside other major British fiction awards.
