Nov 28, 2023, 11:47 AM IST
Irish author Paul Lynch has won the 2023 Booker Prize for his fifth novel 'Prophet Song'. Lynch said, "It is immense pleasure that I bring the Booker home to Ireland."
The Irish author is known for his poetic style of writing with exploration of complex themes. He has published five novels and has also won the prestigious Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award.
The novel 'Prophet Song' is a dystopian novel that depicts the struggles of the Stack family of four who are trying to save themselves as the Republic of Ireland slips into totalitarianism.
The narrative of the book is unconventional, as there are no paragraph breaks. It draws inspiration from the Syrian Civil War, said Lynch, and how that ensued a refugee crisis and the West's indifference to their plight.
The Chair of Judges, Esi Edugyan described the book as "soul-shattering and true". One review heralded it as a "crucial book for our current time" as it captures the rise of political extremism.
The Shortlist for the Booker Prize 2023 included- 'The Bee Sting' by Paul Murray, 'Western Lane' by Chetna Maroo, 'This Other Eden' by Paul Harding, 'If I Survive You' by Jonathan Escoffery and 'Study of Obedience' by Sarah Bernstein.