M. John Harrison wins Booker Prize with sci-fi novel

M. John Harrison has secured the 2026 Booker Prize for his satirical science fiction novel, The End of Everything. The award recognizes the best fiction published in the U.K. and Ireland. Harrison, 81, is the oldest author to receive the honor since the prize began. The win marks the first time a writer emerging directly from the science fiction genre has taken top billing at the event.

The novel follows Philip, a man who searches for artifacts along the Kent coast, and his aunt Marnie. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future. It details the slow invasion of shape-shifting beings known as the iGhetti. In an interview with the Booker Prize team, Harrison explained that he drew inspiration from current affairs. He asked, "What happens when all of our expectations and explanations of the world become an ongoing disaster, but we still have to make a life?"

Harrison has written for decades. The End of Everything is his 13th novel. His career has focused primarily on science fiction. In 2006, his novel Nova Swing won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award. Those prizes recognize the best science fiction in the U.K. and U.S., respectively.

Mary Beard, chair of this year's judges, described the winning book in a statement. She called it a work that turns you upside down and raises a wry smile. She noted that, given the subject matter, it leaves the reader with a twinge of optimism. The judging panel also included poet Raymond Antrobus, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, editor and critic Rebecca Liu, and poet and novelist Patricia Lockwood.

Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, noted in a statement that previous winners have borrowed elements of science fiction. However, she identified Harrison as the first winner to come from the bona fide SF world. She described him as a genuinely original thinker and a genre-defying writer who takes ideas seriously.

The other books on the shortlist included Marlon James' The Disappearers and Elizabeth Strout's The Things We Never Say. David Szalay won the 2025 prize for his novel Flesh. He presented the trophy to Harrison. The winner receives £50,000, which is approximately $67,000.

The award ceremony took place on Sunday. The prize continues its long-standing tradition of celebrating literary fiction. Harrison's win shifts the focus of the event toward speculative narratives. The financial reward supports the author's continued work in the genre.