Experience the Extraordinary in Flesh by David Szalay
British-Hungarian novelist David Szalay has been awarded the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh, which the judges hailed as “extraordinary” and “a very special book.”
Flesh follows the life of a complex, emotionally distant man as he moves through contrasting worlds — from a modest housing estate in Hungary to the elite social circles of London’s wealthy class.
Roddy Doyle, chair of the Booker judging panel, praised the book’s uniqueness, saying, “What we particularly admired about Flesh was its singularity. It’s unlike any other novel. It’s dark, but a joy to read.”
The judging panel also included actress Sarah Jessica Parker. At the same time, pop stars Dua Lipa and Stormzy have both publicly supported the novel.
Speaking to the BBC after his win, Szalay admitted he was “a bit dazed” by the announcement. “I convinced myself I wouldn’t win, just to get through the night calmly. Now I need time to process it — but it’s fantastic, of course,” he said.
At the ceremony in London, Stormzy’s reading of an excerpt from the book was featured in a short film. Dua Lipa — who selected Flesh for her book club last month — described it as “a tense and gripping read.”
The novel has earned widespread critical acclaim. The Sunday Times praised Szalay for his ability to explore what it is to be alive. The Guardian hailed it as “a brilliantly sparse portrait of a person.” The character Istvan is able to portray the “three stages” of modern man.
Judge Roddy Doyle highlighted the author’s minimalist approach: “We were impressed by how much conveyed with so little. The white space, the silence — even grief expressed through a few blank pages. The dialogue, and its absence, are both remarkable.”
According to the Booker Prize Foundation, Flesh serves as “a meditation on class, power, intimacy, migration, and masculinity.” It offers “a compelling portrait of one man and the experiences that echo throughout his life.”
After more than five hours of deliberation, the judges unanimously selected Flesh as the winner. Gaby Wood, chief executive of the foundation, described the novel as “spare, disciplined, urgent, honest, and heartbreaking.”
“With Flesh, Szalay has broken new ground,” Wood added. “He has written with unflinching commitment for years, and this win feels richly deserved.”
Flesh marks Szalay’s sixth novel. He was previously shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2016 for All That Man Is, another exploration of masculinity. The 2025 prize earns him £50,000.
This year’s shortlist also featured:
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Kiran Desai, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny
Audition by Katie Kitamura
The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
The Booker Prize, the UK’s most prestigious literary award, celebrates outstanding novels written in English. Past laureates include Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Bernardine Evaristo, and Douglas Stuart.
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