Esi Edugyan’s thrilling novel follows the astonishing adventures of its titular character, Washington Black, whose escape from the brutal cane plantations of Barbados was only the beginning. Shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize and set to be released as a glitzy television adaptation starring Sterling K Brown and co-produced by Edugyan later this year, what better excuse to dive into the novel?

In this episode Jo and James:

• Introduce our April Monthly Spotlight pick
• Share a brief biography of Esi Edugyan and her work to date
• Summarise the novel
• Discuss the plot and their thoughts
• Suggest the kind of reader who will love the book

Reading list:

• The Second Life of Samuel Tyne by Esi Edugyan
• Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/half-blood-blues
• Washington Black by Esi Edugyan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/washington-black
• Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby
• The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-amber-spyglass
• Any Human Heart by William Boyd: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/any-human-heart
• This Other Eden by Paul Harding: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/this-other-eden

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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In 1984, many assumed that J.G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun had the Booker Prize in the bag. But actually, it was Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac that clinched the prize in the end. This week, we're exploring the bookies' favourite vs the Booker winner to ask which book should have won: Brookner's short, quiet novel set in a genteel Swiss hotel or Ballard's long and action-packed autobiographical epic set in wartime Shanghai.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Discuss the Booker Prize 1984 shortlist
• Share a brief biography of Anita Brookner
• Summarise the plot of Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac
• Explore the characters in Brookner's novel
• Share a brief biography of J.G. Ballard
• Summarise the plot of Empire of the Sun
• Who should read these books
• Discuss their thoughts on both novels and which they think should have won the Booker Prize 1984

Reading list:

• Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/empire-of-the-sun
• Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/hotel-du-lac
• Small World by David Lodge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/small-world
• Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/flauberts-parrot
• In Custody by Anita Desai: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/in-custody
• According to Mark by Penelope Lively: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/according-to-mark

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-37-empire-of-the-sun-or-hotel-du-lac

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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It's a big week in the literary calendar (if we do say so, ourselves), as we've just announced this year's International Booker Prize longlist. To mark the occasion, James is joined by Fiammetta Rocco, the administrator of the International Booker Prize, and Eleanor Wachtel, chair of the 2024 judging panel. Listen in as they discuss the prize, this year's longlisted books and why translated fiction matters.

Conversation topics in this episode:

• Fiammetta shares how the International Booker Prize began, and how it works in tandem with the Booker Prize
• The importance of translators
• The surging popularity of translated fiction, especially amongst younger readers
• What it's like to be a judge for the International Booker Prize
• Common themes in contemporary literature across the world
• The 2024 longlist

Reading list:

• Not a River by Selva Almada, translated by Annie McDermott: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/not-a-river
• Simpatía by Rodrigo Blanco Calderón, translated by Noel Hernández González and Daniel Hahn: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/simpatia
• Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/kairos
• The Details by Ia Genberg, translated by Kira Josefsson: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-details
• White Nights by Urszula Honek, translated by Kate Webster: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/white-nights
• Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell and Youngjae Josephine Bae: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/mater-2-10
• A Dictator Calls by Ismail Kadare, translated by John Hodgson: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-dictator-calls
• The Silver Bone by Andrey Kurkov, translated by Boris Dralyuk: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-silver-bone
• What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/what-id-rather-not-think-about
• Lost on Me by Veronica Raimo, translated by Leah Janeczko: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/lost-on-me
• The House on Via Gemito by Domenico Starnone, translated by Oonagh Stransky: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-house-on-via-gemito
• Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior, translated by Johnny Lorenz: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/crooked-plow
• Undiscovered by Gabriela Wiener, translated by Julia Sanches: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/undiscovered

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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It’s the third and final installment in our mini-series where we revisit Booker Prize novels whose cinematic adaptations were nominated at the Academy Awards. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, which won the 1989 Booker Prize. Ishiguro’s moving portrait of the perfect English butler was adapted four years later by James Ivory, in a film which received eight nominations at the Oscars. Tune in to hear Jo and James discuss the novel – which also happens to be our March Monthly Spotlight – and its silver screen counterpart. 

In this episode Jo and James:

1. Share a brief biography of Kazuo Ishiguro
2. Summarise the plot of the book, and share their thoughts on it
3. Explore the character of Stevens and the idea of dignity which he based his life on
4. Discuss the narrative devices Ishiguro uses throughout the novel
5. Delve into James Ivory’s adaptation, and the differences between book and film

Reading list:

1. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-remains-of-the-day
2. An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/an-artist-of-the-floating-world

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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Welcome back to the second of our Booker at the Oscars mini-series where we explore Booker Prize novels whose silver screen adaptations went on to experience Academy Award success. This time we're revisiting The English Patient, the joint Booker Prize 1992 winner by Michael Ondaatje (the other winner was Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger) and its silver screen counterpart, directed by Anthony Minghella.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Share a brief biography of Michael Ondaatje
• Summarise the plot of the book, and discuss their thoughts on it
• Explore the four main characters we meet in the novel
• Delve into Anthony Minghella's film adaptation and the differences between book and film

Reading list:

• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-english-patient
• Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/sacred-hunger
• Black Dogs by Ian McEwan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/black-dogs
• Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-butcher-boy
• Warlight by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/warlight
• Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
• The Histories by Herodotus
• In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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When does a book transcend from contemporary literature to a classic? Does someone have to confirm its classic status? And can all Booker Prize novels be considered classics just by being part of the Booker canon? This, and more, is what Jo and James are trying to get to the heart of in this week's episode. Listen in as they discuss what makes a classic novel and chat about which Booker books should be known as classics.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Consider what makes a classic
• Each pick three novels from the Booker Library that are – or should be – considered classics
• Discuss the plots of their chosen novels and why they are deserving of classic status

Reading list:

• Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/something-to-answer-for
• A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/a-month-in-the-country
• How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/how-late-it-was-how-late
• St. Urbain's Horseman by Mordecai Richler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/st-urbains-horseman
• Atonement by Ian McEwan: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/atonement
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-remains-of-the-day
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-handmaids-tale
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/shuggie-bain
• Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/schindlers-ark
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-english-patient
• Autobiography by Morrisey
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
• Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/midnights-children
• The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-siege-of-krishnapur
• The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-conservationist
• Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/oscar-and-lucinda
• The Ghost Road by Pat Barker: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-ghost-road
• Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/disgrace
• Staying On by Paul Scott: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/staying-on
• The Famished Road by Ben Okri: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-famished-road
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/cloud-atlas
• The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-line-of-beauty
• Autumn by Ali Smith: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/autumn
• Crudo by Olivia Laing
• No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/no-one-is-talking-about-this
• Waterland by Graham Swift: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/waterland
• G. by John Berger: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/g

Read Alex Clark's piece, “Which novels in the Booker Prize archives should be considered classics?”: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/which-booker-prize-novels-should-be-considered-classics

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-33-what-makes-a-classic-novel

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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It's Oscars season so we're off to the movies. Welcome to the first in a new mini-series where we explore Booker Prize novels whose silver screen adaptations went on to experience Oscar glory. We're starting with Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize 1982 winner, which also happens to be the first Booker-winning novel to become a film that won a Best Picture Oscar. Listen in as we dive into the book and its film counterpart.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Share a brief biography of Thomas Keneally
• Revisit the origin story of Schindler's Ark
• Consider whether “non-fiction novels” are really novels
• Summarise the plot of the book, and discuss their thoughts on it
• Explore the character of Oskar Schindler
• Delve into Steven Spielberg's adaptation, Schindler's List, and the differences between book and film

Reading list:

• Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard
• Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
• Erasure by Percival Everett
• The Trees by Percival Everett
• The Place at Whitton by Thomas Keneally
• The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith by Thomas Keneally
• Gossip from the Forest by Thomas Keneally
• Confederates by Thomas Keneally
• An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd
• The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Take a look at all of the TV and film adaptations of Booker Prize novels here.

And to watch the full interview with Thomas Keneally, head to our YouTube channel here.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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Sally Rooney is one of the best-loved writers of her generation and her second novel, Normal People, has been overwhelmingly popular across the world – first in book form and then its TV adaptation. Nominated for the Booker Prize 2018, Normal People follows Marianne and Connell as they come of age and figure out their place in the world. It's a love story that has touched readers everywhere but it's also a novel that has something to say about class and politics, in particular. So tune in to this episode to hear Jo and James discuss our February Monthly Spotlight pick.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Consider how the book became so popular
• Whether the haters have a leg to stand on
• Share a brief biography of Sally Rooney
• Summarise the plot of Normal People
• Discuss the themes explored in the novel

Reading list:

• Normal People by Sally Rooney
• Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
• Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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A happy Burns Night to one and all. In honour of this day of celebration for ol' Rabbie Burns, and by extension all Scottish literature, we're taking a dive into one of the most popular Booker Prize winners: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. The novel, Stuart's debut, presents a blistering and heartbreaking exploration of the unsinkable love that only children can have for their damaged parents.

In this episode Jo and James:

• Share a brief biography of Douglas Stuart
• Summarise the plot of Shuggie Bain
• Discuss their thoughts on the novel
• Delve into the characters, particularly Shuggie and his mother, Agnes
• Consider the idea of the divided self in Scottish literature

Reading list:

• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
• Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart
• Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark
• His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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It's winter in the northern hemisphere right now and we are simply filled with the urge to hibernate. If you're feeling the same vibe and want to stay in with a good book, allow us to recommend three short books that could keep you company through a weekend. Listen in this week to hear Jo and James discuss some of the most bijou of novels from the Booker Prize and International Booker Prize archive.

Reading list:

• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
• Offshore by Penelope Fitzgerald
• Boulder by Eva Baltasar, translated by Julia Sanches

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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A.S. Byatt's Possession is a blockbuster of a novel, loved by both critics and readers. If you haven't already read it, you've probably heard of it. (And if you haven't heard of it, well, we're here to fill you in.) Possession won the 1990 Booker Prize and it's a romp of a novel that's part detective thriller and part romance. It also happens to be the subject of our first Monthly Spotlight of 2024 – formerly known as Book of the Month – so tune in as we delve into the book and the life of its author.

In this episode Jo and James:

• 
  
• Share a brief biography of A.S. Byatt
• 
  
• Explore Byatt's literary rivalry with her writer sister, Margaret Drabble
• 
  
• Summarise the plot of Possession
• 
  
• Hear a clip of Byatt reading from the book at the 1990 Booker Prize ceremony
• 
  
• Discuss their thoughts on the novel
• 
  

Reading list:

• 
  
• Possession by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/archive/books/possession
• 
  
• An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/an-awfully-big-adventure
• 
  
• The Gate of Angels by Penelope Fitzgerald: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-gate-of-angels
• 
  
• Lies of Silence by Brian Moore: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/lies-of-silence
• 
  
• Amongst Women by John McGahern: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/amongst-women
• 
  
• Solomon Gursky Was Here by Mordecai Richler: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/solomon-gursky-was-here
• 
  
• The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt
• 
  
• The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye by A.S. Byatt
• 
  
• The Biographer's Tale
• 
  
• The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/the-childrens-book
• 
  

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-28-possession-by-as-byatt

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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