The judges for the 2024 Booker Prize have been revealed, marking the commencement of the prestigious literary awards’ submission period for publishers. Renowned porcelain potter and author Edmund de Waal, celebrated for his monumental art installations and acclaimed biography The Hare with Amber Eyes,will lead the 2024 judging panel. Joining him are award-winning novelist Sara Collins, Justine Jordan (deputy literature editor at The Guardian), globally acclaimed writer and professor Yiyun Li, and the versatile musician, composer and producer Nitin Sawhney.
Expressing his excitement, de Waal stated, “The great ambition of the Booker Prize is to explore contemporary fiction without preconceptions, and I am so privileged to be sharing my year of reading with such a gloriously distinguished and vigorous group of fellow explorers. I am looking forward to being part of the best book club ever.”
The judging panel will sift through submissions of long-form English-language fiction from authors of any nationality, published in the UK and/or Ireland between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024. By July 2024, the judges will unveil the ‘Booker Dozen,’ a selection of 12 or 13 long-listed books. The shortlist of six titles will be announced in September 2024, with the overall winner of the Booker Prize 2024 revealed in November.
Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, highlighted the diverse expertise of this year’s judges, spanning science, law, music, and art. Wood emphasised de Waal’s respected position globally, stating, “His ability to put people, books and works of art in conversation with one another.”
The Booker Prize winner will be awarded a £50,000 cash prize, with £2,500 each for the six shortlisted authors. Notable previous winners include Paul Lynch for Prophet Song in 2023 and Shehan Karunatilaka for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida in 2022.
The Booker Prize is renowned as one of the highest accolades in English-language fiction, transforming authors’ lives by boosting book sales and solidifying their status as literary icons. UK and Irish publishers can submit entries until June 3, 2024.
