Paul Lynch wins Booker

November 27, 2023 | < 1 min read

*Paul Lynch poses with a copy of his Booker Prize-winning book,* Prophet Song at the award announcement ceremony at the Old Billingsgate in central London on November 26, 2023 *(Photo: AFP)*

Irish author Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his novel, Prophet Song. He beat five other finalists from Ireland, the UK, the US and Canada, chosen from 163 novels submitted by publishers.

Lynch’s work was awarded the £50,000 (Rs 52.58 lakh) literary prize during a ceremony in London on Sunday, November 26.

Set in a dystopian fictional version of Dublin, Lynch’s work was described by Esi Edugyan, the Canadian writer who chaired the award panel, during the prize-giving ceremony, as “a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave”. She also said that he “pulls off feats of language that are stunning to witness”.

Paul Lynch’s debut novel, Red Sky in Morning, published in 2013 received critical acclaim and was an Amazon Book of the Year. Major awards won by him are the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award in 2018 and the Ireland Francophonie Ambassadors’ Literary Award in 2020.