What Makes a Booker Prize Winner? Revisiting all the winners 1969-2023

Hello, I'm Bob, and as part of my Booker project, I have finished reading all of the winners from 1969-2023, and here is my attempt to see what they have in common, if anything!
00:00 Introduction and background
02:30 Being 'of the moment' but also 'universal'
07:31 'Experimental' but 'accessible'
16:12 Geography and demographics, Britain at centre? Epics vs quieter novels
22:30 Summary
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[@cmleidi]

So enjoying this series of videos about the Booker. This year, I felt that the judges favored message books on the shortlist (anti-semitism, racism, totalitarianism, grief & family, financial crises, etc.). It reminded me of conversations I've had with people who say a great novel must have a great social message to be "important." As an aside, I really think the Booker and the Women's Prize should have another set of judges who only read the longlist and choose the shortlist. It would start to address the problems I have with both prizes.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you! And yes, it’s interesting that there’s been such a strong lean towards books having to be ‘about’ or ‘in reaction’ to something. Some have managed it very well, but some lose me, I find. Ooh, I love that idea for judging at different stages! I was part of a pre-panel for a prize once with about 30 other people, where we helped give an indication of what books should definitely go to the judges, and it felt like a more sensible way of not putting all of it on 5 people.

[@dougallen1611]

This review, analysis, call it what you will, is you at your best. Thank you for doing all the grunt work to bring us such a comprehensive and insightful perspective to the Booker Prize history.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Ahhh, thank you so much! I really appreciate that- it’s normally when I have the most fun, but I’m never sure whether it’ll be good or just half an hour of me trying to find my point 😂 It was fun to do as a challenge! Now to finish the shortlists… only 80 books to go!

[@donaldcohen5196]

The Promise and Girl Woman Other were certainly worthy winners.

[@Bruntonpete]

Lovely listen. I hope you are talking about my work in the future :-) You have certainly increased my own TBR list.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you! And yes, fingers crossed!

[@eyesonindie]

Love this video so much! I absolutely adore how you broke this down. You've got me thinking about books we label as "quiet." Maybe one of the marketing issues we have with character study books written by women IS that we describe them as quiet. They aren't necessarily quiet! Maybe we tend to use quiet for books that take place in a more domestic place. There's a link that I can't quite put my finger on in the moment between the word quiet and what's generally seen as appropriate literature for women to write, perhaps having something to do with our societal discomfort with loud women. And if we are labeling them as quiet, it almost has this effect of "quieting" their marketing impact as well. Books that are marketed as "bold," "revolutionary," "groundbreaking." Those are loud words, and why can't a character study or a book about relationships be groundbreaking? I'm working on a video about the lack of iconic female road narratives (like On the Road). And I think it has something to do with the fact that historically women have been kind of pigeon-holed into writing what are then marketed as "quiet" novels. Love your videos and thoughtfulness - thanks for sharing!!

[@BobTheBookerer]

Ooh, thank you- that’s a very good point! Yes, I think a lot is marketing, but you make a very good point that it becomes a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy! And definitely- some of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking books have been exactly those sorts of tight character studies (I think Penelope Fitzgerald is my favourite example of this- her characters live whole lives in the subtle movements of eyebrows or body language). It’s so gendered a lot of the time, and you’ve made me think that I need to find a better word for those sorts of books that feels more complimentary or positive, like maybe ‘focused’ or ‘character studies’ or something. And I’m so excited to watch your video on that- that sounds fascinating!

[@kenneth1767]

Thanks, I enjoyed this. Just a little off topic: I haven't read DBC Pierre's win, but I am currently enjoying reading his 'Release the Bats' meditations on the act of writing and find his observations fascinating. Would recommend to writers who are looking at delving into the grand narrative.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Ooh, I hadn’t heard of that- thanks, that sounds fascinating!

[@EllenFelicity]

Really enjoyed this :-)

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you so much!

[@BookishTexan]

After reading How Late It Was How Late the reaction on the judge who felt disgraced them incredibly odd. I liked it and thought it was beautiful in a way.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Yes! It feels like quite an extreme reaction to it. I enjoyed it, and it seems funny to me that someone would find it so repellent to threaten to quit!

[@KierTheScrivener]

Congrats on having read every single one. I love hearing your thoughts on them and what wins.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you! It was a (mostly) fun experience, and interesting to see some winners who I think would not have won in a different year, I think.

[@petrinablair1999]

Great video, agree the quieter books don’t win but linger .

[@BobTheBookerer]

Yes! They’re normally the ones that lose the battle but win the war, I find. Something about them can really get under your skin.

[@ianp9086]

I love this project you are doing - I’m lagging behind after reading 33 winners so far - but your final points are exactly right - using it as a starting point for exploration. If you need another project sometime how about the books that should have been shortlisted? From the earlier years when there wasn’t a longlist I can think of Money by Martin Amis, Regeneration by Pat Barker, Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, Waiting for the Barbarians by JM Coetzee, etc. - there will be lots!

[@BobTheBookerer]

33 is loads! Ooh, great idea! I’m still baffled at how Ghost Road was nominated but Regeneration wasn’t- that book is phenomenal! But it would be fun to look back at those sorts of big hitters that didn’t make it to the list! Thanks!

[@shawkitty2524]

Thanks so much for your analysis, Bob. I have wondered what makes a Booker Prize, even the Long Lists and Short Lists. I suspected these books had to have an edgy social/political statement--this year's winner certainly did.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you! And yes, that often seems to be a big part of it, especially more recently. But the shortlists and longlists are often where there are even more exciting things to be found, I think.

[@curioushmm9027]

well said...and the more prizes the more authors we get to meet..

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you! And yes! It’s been such a great source of new books/writers for me personally, and I find it works better if you view it as a starting point rather than the end in itself.

[@scallydandlingaboutthebook2711]

I really appreciated your observations. I have loosely followed the Booker since the late seventies and see the patterns you describe.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you so much! And ooh, that’s exciting! I’d love to see what I think about it all in years to come!

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

Really interesting to hear your thoughts, especially your 'closing thoughts' which I definitely agree with. For me following a prize like Booker I am introduced to books I probably wouldn't have known about/picked up otherwise and I get to discover some real gems.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you so much! And yes- I think the discovery is the fun bit. In many ways, I’m not fully fussed about the winner, as long as the longlist has been fun.

[@Sharonreadsbooks]

Thanks for this. An interesting idea about winners often sitting in the sweet spot between timely and universal. Really looking forward to hearing your favourite winners. Congratulations on reading them all🎉🎉

[@BobTheBookerer]

Thank you so much! And yes, it’s a difficult middle place, and it does make me wonder how many books miss out because they’re more of one than the other.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Two people can read a book and see totally different things. When I read Prophets Song , I saw nothing about the “ Troubles”( and I grew up through them). In the week before we had the riots in Dublin by right wing anti immigration thugs. It was one of those moments when life & art were reflecting one and other. Paul Lynch is from Donegal. Called the forgotten county. It’s further north than Tyrone but is in “ the south”. When the border was established in 1920s, Donegal got cut off when railways etc were cut off. There’s now talk of bringing railway links back. In Donegal they’d get European funding. In N.Ireland with no Stormont, everything is at a standstill .

[@BobTheBookerer]

Ahh, interesting, and thank you for that! Yes! The news from Dublin is terrifying right now! And thank you for that context- his book makes even more sense in that context.

[@janicedowson7793]

Hi Bob! Thanks as always for your thoughtful video. Though I am interested who is the winner, I find the excitement more in the long and short lists, great way to expand ones books to read list. As an aside I just saw that Chigozie Obioma has his third book coming out in 2024. Wonder if it too will be a nominee. (BTW, How do you keep up with all your reading? ). Cheers from Canada

[@BobTheBookerer]

Hello! And thank you! And yes, definitely agree- the lists are more exciting I think! And very exciting about Obioma- I hadn’t seen that, so thank you! And on the reading, I have no idea ahahahah. Lots of train commutes I think!

[@dqan7372]

Came for "The Testaments" left...satisfied. Would be interesting to see a list of the books that they chose the long-lists from. I've never judged a literary prize, but I did do jury duty. Pretty frustrating what goes on behind the scenes. Would be like a book judge dnfing a book because the type-face had fancy serifs. (Actually there might be rules like that at the submission stage, so not a perfect example.

[@BobTheBookerer]

Yes! I am also fascinated by that thought- the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation releases that list, and it’s really fun to see what 100 or so books they considered. Even if it’s only released 5 years later, I wish the Booker would do it. Oh interesting- yes! I wonder what little things like that would play into the overall perceptions of a book (such as finding a typo for example).