Author M John Harrison Wins Booker Prize at Age 81

English author M John Harrison has won the 2026 Booker Prize at 81 years old, making him the oldest person to ever win the award. The prize is worth 50,000 pounds. He won for his dystopian novel The End of Everything, which follows a man and his aunt living in southern England after a mysterious invasion collapses society.

Judging and Competition

Chair of the judges Mary Beard said the book was chosen unanimously by the panel. The judges included Patricia Lockwood and Jarvis Cocker. Harrison's book beat works by previous winners Douglas Stuart and Marlon James, along with books by Elizabeth Strout, Luke Kennard, and Rebecca Perry. Harrison previously served as a Booker judge in 2022.

Context

The Booker Prize is a major literary award open to works written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. This year's win marks a notable moment for genre fiction, as Harrison is known for his science fiction and fantasy background. Gaby Wood of the Booker Prize Foundation noted he is the first winner to emerge from that world.