Author David Szalay, who holds both British and Hungarian roots, has been awarded this year’s Booker Prize for his acclaimed novel Flesh. His work triumphed over six other shortlisted titles to win one of the world’s most prestigious literary honors.

Chief Judge Roddy Doyle described Flesh as “a dark book, but a joy to read,” commending its unique structure and emotional resonance.

“Fiction can take risks,” says Szalay

During his acceptance speech, Szalay admitted that writing Flesh felt like a creative gamble. “There was a sense of risk being taken. And I think it’s very important that we did take those risks. Fiction can take risks – aesthetic, formal or even moral risks. It’s important the novel community embraces risk,” he said.

He also reflected on the personal challenges of writing the book. “This wasn’t easy to write. I didn’t cope that graciously or wisely to the pressure – the only person witness to that was my wife,” he added, expressing gratitude for her support throughout the process.

Judges praise Flesh for its singular voice and subtle power

The Booker panel, chaired by Doyle, spent more than five hours debating the shortlist before unanimously choosing Flesh as their winner. Doyle explained why Szalay’s book stood out: “What we particularly liked about Flesh was its singularity. It’s just not like any other book.”

He further praised Szalay’s precise and understated prose. “We loved the spareness of the writing. We loved how so much is revealed without us being overly aware of it being revealed. It’s just extraordinary how he uses white space. Grief is depicted by a few blank pages,” Doyle noted.

Storyline: a portrait of a man through silence and space

Flesh tells the story of a magnetic yet emotionally distant man navigating through different stages of his life. The narrative unfolds in separate episodes that move from a Hungarian housing estate to the Iraq War, and later to the lavish world of London’s elite.

Much of the book’s meaning lies in what is left unsaid. The story allows readers to interpret the emotional gaps between scenes.

According to the Booker organisers, Flesh is “a meditation on class, power, intimacy, migration and masculinity,” offering “a compelling portrait of one man, and the formative experiences that can reverberate across a lifetime.”

About the author: from ad salesman to acclaimed novelist

Born in Canada, Szalay spent his early years moving across countries. His family lived in Beirut and later in London, where he grew up, before he relocated to Hungary and eventually settled in Austria with his wife.

Before turning to writing full-time, Szalay worked as a financial advertising sales executive in London’s corporate world. This experience inspired his debut novel, London and the South-East, a sharp satire about ambition and emptiness in the advertising industry. The book earned him the Betty Trask Award and the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize.

In 2013, he was included in Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists list, marking him as one of the most promising voices of his generation.

Szalay first gained Booker recognition in 2016 for his novel All That Man Is, a piercing look at modern masculinity. Although it did not win the main prize, it received the Gordon Burn Prize and the Plimpton Prize for Fiction.