M. John Harrison wins 2026 Booker Prize for sci-fi novel

British author M. John Harrison has won the 2026 Booker Prize for his satirical science fiction novel The End of Everything. The award recognizes the best fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Harrison is 81 years old, making him the oldest author to claim the honor in the history of the prize.

The novel follows a character named Philip who searches for artifacts along the coast of Kent, England. He is accompanied by his aunt, Marnie. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a shape-shifting group called the iGhetti begins a slow invasion. Harrison is a veteran writer who has spent most of his career in science fiction. This is his 13th novel. His previous work, Nova Swing, won the Arthur C. Clarke and Philip K. Dick awards in 2006.

Mary Beard, the chair of this year's judging panel, issued a statement about the selection. She described the book as one that turns readers upside down and raises a wry smile. Beard noted that despite the subject matter, the novel leaves readers with a twinge of optimism. The other judges included poet Raymond Antrobus, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, editor Rebecca Liu, and novelist Patricia Lockwood.

In an interview with the Booker Prize team, Harrison explained his inspiration. He said he drew from current affairs. He asked what happens when expectations of the world become an ongoing disaster, but people still have to make a life. Gaby Wood, the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, wrote that Harrison is the first winner to emerge from the bona fide science fiction world. She called him a genuinely original thinker and a genre-defying writer who takes ideas seriously.

Other shortlisted books this year included The Disappearers by Marlon James and The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. The prize comes with a cash award of £50,000, which is approximately $67,000. Winners also receive a trophy presented by the previous year's laureate. David Szalay won the 2025 prize with his novel Flesh. He will present the trophy to Harrison.

The announcement concluded the judging process for the 2026 cycle. The Booker Prize Foundation has now identified the top work of fiction from the eligible pool. Harrison's win marks a shift in the literary landscape, as the award has historically favored authors from general fiction backgrounds. This year, the judges chose a work rooted deeply in the science fiction genre.