M John Harrison wins the 2026 Booker Prize

M John Harrison's THE END OF EVERYTHING (Serpent's Tail) is the winner of the 2026 Booker Prize!

Huge congratulations to M John Harrison, the oldest winner in the Booker's history and the first science fiction writer to win the Prize, and to his agent, Will Francis. 

What the judges said  

‘The Booker judges spent a whole day debating the six remarkable novels on this year’s shortlist, before agreeing unanimously to award the 2026 prize to The End of Everything by M John Harrison.' 

'It's a book that turns you upside down, raises a wry smile – and surprisingly, given the subject matter, leaves you with a twinge of optimism.'

'The End of Everything can be read as a thriller, a mystery, a satire, a dystopia, a road novel, a work of realism; whatever the reader is looking for can be found here, albeit told at a slant and with a twist. The book offers something for everyone!'

'The landscape may be bleak, the catastrophe may be immersive, yet there still were moments we found ourselves laughing aloud.'

In his acceptance speech, M John Harrison said 

'Prizes like this one, not that there are any prizes quite like the Booker, are so important in a landscape of industrialised fiction.'

Read more on The Booker Prize Website.