M. John Harrison has won this year's Booker Prize for his novel The End of Everything, The New York Times reports. The award was announced on Monday, 9 November 2026.
The British author, who is 81, is described by The Telegraph as a cult figure in British letters. The novel is a work of apocalyptic science fiction, according to KOSU, which reported on the win.
Coverage of the book during the shortlist period was mixed in tone. Bookmunch called the novel "strange and unsettling" in its review of the shortlisted title, while The Atlantic framed its discussion around the question of whether the apocalypse has already arrived.
The result marks a notable moment for genre fiction in a prize long associated with literary realism. Harrison's win places a science fiction novel at the centre of one of the English-speaking world's most closely followed literary awards.
The judging panel's reasoning and Harrison's response to the award were not included in the reporting summarised here.
Watch for the full citation from the prize organisers and the first interviews with Harrison following the ceremony, which should clarify how the judges weighed a genre novel against the rest of the shortlist.
