David Szalay wins 2025 Booker Prize for 'Flesh'
What's the story
Hungarian-British author David Szalay has won the prestigious 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh. The book tells the story of a quiet man, Istvan, who leads a tumultuous life from Hungary to England. The judges were particularly impressed by Szalay's use of white space on the page, which they said "invited readers to fill in the gaps and create characters alongside him."
Author's vision
Cultural and economic divides in contemporary Europe
Szalay was inspired to write Flesh based on his experiences living between Hungary and England. He wanted to explore cultural and economic divides in contemporary Europe through the lens of a physical experience, reported NPR. The novel follows Istvan's journey from being a struggling immigrant in Britain to mingling with London's high society.
Prize details
Judges and finalists
Flesh was chosen from 153 submitted novels and beat out five other finalists, including works by Andrew Miller (The Land in Winter) and Kiran Desai (The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny). The judges included Irish writer Roddy Doyle and actor Sarah Jessica Parker, among others. Winning the Booker Prize comes with a £50,000 prize money (approximately $66,000) and usually boosts sales significantly.
Critical reception
Doyle's praise for the book
Doyle said the book is "about living, and the strangeness of living." "We loved how so much was revealed without us being overly aware that it was being revealed." Interestingly, the novel's refusal to fill in gaps in Istvan's story has frustrated some readers, while others believe it adds to its uniqueness.