David Szalai, the Hungarian-born Briton, won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel “Meat.” The award was presented on Monday evening, November 10, in London. Salai, who was already nominated in 2016 for his novel All That Man Is, received £50,000. Jury president, writer Roddy Doyle, said the jurors had “never read anything like this before.”
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The Booker Prize is awarded annually to the best work of fiction in the English language published in the United Kingdom and/or Ireland. The winner receives a cash prize of £50,000 currently. The International Booker Prize is awarded to the best work of fiction translated into English. In this case, the monetary value is divided between the author and the translator.
The actor’s sixth novel follows István’s life from youth to middle age, from an incident in Hungary to his move to London, where the protagonist works for the rich. According to the Booker judges, “Flesh” “is a dark book in many ways, but an enjoyable read.”
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Jury chairman Roddy Doyle, who won the prize in 1993, said the jury had “never read anything like this before. It’s a dark book in many ways, but it’s a joy to read.” The work deals with themes such as masculinity, social class, immigration, trauma, gender, and power, with the protagonist being a working-class man.
The 2025 Booker Prize jury consisted of actress Sarah Jessica Parker, writers Chris Power, Ayobami Adepay and Kelly Reid, as well as chair Roddy Doyle.
“Flesh” beat out a strong list of finalists, including British bookmakers’ favorite “The Land in Winter” by Andrew Miller. Also in competition is “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” by Kiren Desai, winner of the award in 2006; “Flashlight” by Susan Choi; “The Test” by Katie Kitamura; and “The Rest of Our Lives” by Ben Markovits.
David Szalai was born in Montreal to a Hungarian father and a Canadian mother, and grew up in London. After graduating from Oxford, he worked as a financial advertising sales executive, which inspired his first novel, London and the South East. He is also the author of the novels “Spring” and “The Innocent,” as well as the short story collection “Turbulence.”
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