Summary

  • Shortlisted authors Anuk Arudpragasam, Damon Galgut, Patricia Lockwood, Nadifa Mohamed, Richard Powers and Maggie Shipstead joined Samira Ahmed live in Broadcasting House's Radio Theatre for the announcement of the winner of the 2021 Booker Prize.

  • Last year's winner Douglas Stuart was in conversation with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. And 30 years on from his historic Booker win, Ben Okri reflected on how the prize changed his life.

  • The live ceremony was broadcast simultaneously on the BBC News channel, BBC Radio 4 and BBC iPlayer.

Live Reporting

  1. A Passage North: the 1-minute film

    BBC Arts

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  2. A viewer tips #APassageNorthToWin

    BBC Arts

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  3. Yearning versus desire: A Passage North on Open Book

    BBC Arts

    Staying with A Passage North, Elizabeth Day talked to 33-year-old Anuk Arudpragasam on Radio 4's Open Book about this meditative reflection on loss, trauma and yearning - in a country where the reverberations of painful civil war remain unavoidable.

    Yearning is desire that doesn't have an object, a sort of wandering space... All of the characters are condemned to a kind of wandering.

    Anuk Arudpragasam

    25/07/2021

    Programme looking at new fiction and non-fiction books.

  4. Booker Book Groups on Front Row

    #1 Anuk Arudpragasam

    BBC Arts

    BBC Radio 4's Front Row has devoted regular chunks of the programme over the past two weeks to its Booker Book Groups - special interviews and Q&A sessions with the shortlisted authors.

    First up was Anuk Arudpragasam; he answered questions from listeners about his shortlisted novel A Passage North. Anuk's second novel follows a young Sri Lankan man's journey back home and to the funeral of his grandmother's carer. Listen below.

    The train journey takes place outside of time.

    Speech is costly. Speaking can get you into trouble very easily in a place like Sri Lanka... We tend to speak with our silences, rather than speak explicitly.

    Anuk Arudpragasam

    Anuk Arudpragasam answers questions from listeners about his shortlisted novel A Passage North.

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  5. Explore the shortlist

    BBC Arts

    As we build up to the winner announcement, we'll be pointing you in the direction of the fantastic listener Q&As that each shortlisted author did with guests and listeners on Radio 4's Front Row, as well as what some well-known faces have been saying about their favourite books on the list.

    You can also listen to those Booker Book Groups from Front Row at the top of this page.

  6. Remote Judging

    BBC Arts

    Maya Jasonoff will be chatting to Samira Ahmed at the start of the ceremony about the experience of judging this year's Booker.

    Much of the discussion inevitably happened online, although Maya and Chigozie Obioma did meet up in Nebraska after many months of remote debate.

    After 6+ months of meeting on Zoom, thrilled to meet my fabulous fellow Booker judge Chigozie Obioma in person … a highlight of road-tripping through Nebraska!

    Maya Jasanoff

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  7. Who is judging this year's Booker?

    BBC Arts

    Announcing the winning book a little later will be the chair of this year’s judging committee, Harvard historian Maya Jasanoff. Joining Maya and twice-nominated author Chigozie Obioma on the committee are former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, writer and editor Horatia Harrod, and actor Natascha McElhone.

    Commenting on social media when the panel was announced, Obioma said:

    Truly truly honored to be on the judging panel for next year's Booker prize. As one of the very lucky writers to have been nominated, I can attest to the life changing impact such a nomination can have on a writer's career. I'm glad I get to help impact others. And what a great group led by @jasanoff with Horatio, Natascha and Rowan!

    Chigozie Obioma

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  8. The Shortlist: 'Absorbing global stories of life and death'

    BBC Arts

    To start, an appropriately brief introduction to this year's Booker shortlist, with BBC arts correspondent Rebecca Jones's take on the nominated books.

    I like this list. It is serious, not showy, but features books you will actually want to read (and will enjoy) rather than books you feel you ought to read (and might not enjoy).

    Rebecca Jones, BBC arts correspondent and Talking Books presenter

    Rebecca Jones with 2019 Booker shortlisted authors Margaret Atwood (centre) and Chigozie Obioma. Twice-nominated Obioma is one of five people on the judging panel of the 2021 Booker Prize.

    Rebecca Jones with 2019 Booker shortlisted authors Margaret Atwood (centre) and Chigozie Obioma. Twice-nominated Obioma is one of five people on the judging panel of the 2021 Booker Prize.

  9. Booker Prize 2021: Prologue

    BBC Arts

    Welcome to our coverage of the 2021 Booker Prize. The live ceremony starts at 7.15pm, when host Samira Ahmed takes the stage at the historic BBC Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House in London.

    The shortlisted authors are joined by special guests including 1991 Booker Prize winner Ben Okri, last year's winner Douglas Stuart and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

    Audiences here and around the world will tune in, with audio coverage on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds, and a unique visual experience on BBC iPlayer and the BBC News Channel - with all of that wrapped up in one place right here on the live page.

    Ahead of the main event at 7:15pm we aim to inform and entertain with a close-up look at the shortlisted books, Booker stories and interviews from the BBC, and anticipation and reaction from around the world.

    Samira Ahmed and guests for the 2021 Booker Prize ceremony.The Booker Prizes

    Samira Ahmed and guests for the 2021 Booker Prize ceremony.