Hungarian-British Author David Szalay Awarded 2025 Booker Prize for Novel ‘Flesh’

IN NEWS:

Hungarian-British Author David Szalay Awarded 2025 Booker Prize for Novel ‘Flesh’

UPSC STYLE ANALYSIS

• Major Literary Recognition:
  Hungarian-British author David Szalay has been awarded the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel ‘Flesh’.
• Event Details:
  • The award was presented at a ceremony held at Old Billingsgate, London.
  • The prize carries a monetary award of £50,000.
  • Szalay was previously shortlisted in 2016 for his novel ‘All That Man Is’.
• About the Winning Novel – ‘Flesh’:
  • The novel is written in spare prose and spans multiple decades.
  • It follows the journey of an emotionally detached man whose life unravels due to uncontrollable events.
  • The story transitions from a Hungarian housing estate to the luxurious mansions of London’s elite.
  • ‘Flesh’ marks Szalay’s sixth work of fiction.
• About the Author – David Szalay:
  • Born in Montreal to a Hungarian father and Canadian mother.
  • Grew up in London and holds Hungarian-British nationality.
  • Other notable works include novels ‘Spring’ and ‘The Innocent’, and the short story collection ‘Turbulence’.
• Significance:
  • The Booker Prize is among the world’s most prestigious literary awards, recognizing excellence in English-language fiction.
  • Szalay’s win reinforces the trend of cross-cultural narratives in modern English literature.

STATIC PART (FOR UPSC REVISION)

• Booker Prize:
  • Established in 1969.
  • Awarded annually to the best original novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland.
  • Prize Money: £50,000 for the winner and £2,500 for each shortlisted author.
  • Administered by the Booker Prize Foundation, London.
• Recent Indian Connection:
  • Geetanjali Shree won the International Booker Prize 2022 for her Hindi novel ‘Ret Samadhi’ (Tomb of Sand), translated by Daisy Rockwell.

Updated – 11 Nov 2025 ; 09:31 AM | News Source: All India Radio