At the official ceremony held in London, Irish playwright and chair of the judging panel Roddy Doyle announced the winner of the 2023 Booker Prize. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This year's winner is 52-year-old Hungarian writer David Szalay, who received the most prestigious literary award for his novel "Flesh." This was reported by The Guardian.
"Flesh" is the author's sixth novel in his creative career. It highlights social and cultural issues in contemporary Europe through the life of a young Hungarian man named István.
In the story, after completing his military service, the protagonist leaves his homeland and heads to London. There, he serves wealthy families and tries to find his place in life.
In an interview, David Szalay emphasized that in "Flesh" he aimed to depict the complex relationships between human nature, work, and values. According to him, the novel encourages deep reflection on the economic and cultural disparities defining modern Europe.
Other well-known writers were also shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize. Among them were American Benjamin Markovits ("The Rest of Our Lives"), Susan Choi ("Flashlight"), Katie Kitamura ("Audition"), British writer Andrew Miller ("The Land in Winter"), and Indian author Kiran Desai ("The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny").
David Szalay was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2016 for his work "All That Man Is," but did not win at that time. However, this year's victory marks a new stage in his career.
The Booker Prize has been recognized as one of the most prestigious awards in literature since 1969. Since 2014, the prize can be awarded to any novel written in English and published in the UK.
The winner receives a cash prize of £50,000 (approximately 57,000 euros). Last year, the Booker Prize was awarded to British writer Samantha Harvey for her novel "Orbit."
In her work, she portrayed the daily life of astronauts living on the International Space Station in a philosophical and impactful style. David Szalay's novel "Flesh" has opened new discussions on social changes, migration, and human values in Europe.
The work is important not only for literature but also for a deeper understanding of society and has received wide acclaim.
