Not my favourite prize but I can’t resist putting together a wish list for the Booker. To be eligible for this year’s prize all books must be published in the UK or Ireland between 1st October 2025 and 30th September 2026 and have been written in English. The judges usually stick to twelve although sometimes stretch to thirteen. Their list will be revealed on 28th July but here’s mine, which I suspect will bear no resemblance whatsoever to theirs, with links to my reviews for all but Where Are the Kings, Clara and Christina, Switzy and Stations, all to be reviewed nearer publication.
The Silver Book Almost Life Minor Black Figures
The Things We Never Say Frida Slattery as Herself Whistler
The Red Mouth Venus Vanishing Where Are the Kings
Clara and Christina Switzy Stations
Several of these stand no hope whatsoever, although I think they should, unlikely even to have been nominated by their publishers although the judges can call books in. It’s quite possible I’ll read a gem I’d loved to have included here published before mid-September when the shortlist is announced but I’m sticking to books I’ve already read. And if I had to choose one? Never easy but it would be a toss-up between The Silver Book, The Things We Never Say, Where Are the Kings and Stations.
What about you? What would you like to see on the list, and what do you think the judges will plump for?
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Great list!
Great to see your list Susan, I’m keen to see what makes it. I’m about to start Stations and very much looking forward to it.
I’ve heard good things about Whistler (which I’ll be reading soon) and The Red Mouth!
Of these, I’ve read The Silver Book, Minor Black Figures, and Venus Vanishing, and Switzy is on my NetGalley list! Keen on Whistler, too, although I haven’t yet sourced it. The Laing and Taylor probably have a decent chance, although the Taylor was a bit meandering for my taste. The Birrell feels like a Women’s Prize book (although the WP and I have parted ways, aesthetically, so I suppose what I mean is it feels like something that used to be a WP book. Perhaps that makes it even more important for the Booker to up its game). I’d also very much like to see Rebecca Perry’s May We Feed the King get some prize recognition, as well as Francis Spufford’s Nonesuch (never happening but he jolly well deserves it) and Colson Whitehead’s most recent release, Cool Machine. Is Sarah Ross’s The Winter Guest too late a release to be eligible? I think it’s published on 1 October this year…
*Sarah Moss’s. Bloody autocorrect!
I’ve also lost some interest in the WP because I find the books they champion to be either too experimental or, more often, too commercial and I was wondering if those were also your problems with it.
I’d love to see Donal Ryan or Elizabeth Strout on the shortlist. Not that I’ve read either of these books, just going n past experience of their work.