A novel set on England’s Kent coast in the near future made history Monday when it won the Booker Prize, the country’s top literary award.
M. John Harrison, 81, is the oldest author to win the prize. The End of Everything at 198 pages, is also the shortest winner ever and the first science fiction winner. It is the first Booker win for an independent publisher, Serpent’s Tail.
The dystopian satire is set shortly after society has collapsed. Phillip, a beachcomber, makes a living recovering artifacts along the Kent shore. He and his elderly but armed aunt navigate a world invaded by shapeshifting monsters called iGhetti.
The novel explores the failure of society, disregard for the environment and the limits of human understanding.
Five other novels were shortlisted for the Booker Prize:
- The Disappearers by Marlon James
- Black Bag by Luke Kennard
- May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry
- The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout
- John of John by Douglas Stuart
Harrison collected the award and a trophy at a ceremony in London on Nov. 9.
The Booker Prize 2026 Winner
The End of Everything: A Novel
By M. John Harrison
The Booker Prize 2026 Shortlist
The Disappearers
By Marlon James
Black Bag
By Luke Kennard
May We Feed the King
By Rebecca Perry
The Things We Never Say
By Elizabeth Strout
John of John
By Douglas Stuart
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