M. John Harrison Wins 2026 Booker Prize, Becoming Oldest-Ever Recipient

2026, November 10

United Kingdom

British author M. John Harrison, aged 81, won the 2026 Booker Prize for Fiction for his dystopian novel The End of Everything. He becomes the oldest winner in the award's history and the first science-fiction writer to receive the prestigious £50,000 literary prize. The novel explores the collapse of society following an unexplained catastrophe, combining speculative fiction, political satire and dark humour.

The judging panel unanimously selected Harrison's novel from a shortlist of six books, which included works by previous Booker winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, as well as Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout. The victory represents a major recognition of speculative fiction within mainstream literary awards and celebrates Harrison's six-decade writing career.