"Very special book" championed by Dua Lipa wins Booker Prize 2025

British-Hungarian author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh.

Szalay’s sixth work of fiction, which traces the life of one man, István, from his youth to midlife, was unanimously chosen as the winner, panel chair Roddy Doyle, who received the prestigious prize in 1993, confirmed.

"What we particularly liked about Flesh was its singularity. It's just not like any other book," Doyle said. "It's a dark book, but we all found it a joy to read."

Actor Sarah Jessica Parker joined Doyle on this year’s panel, along with the writers Chris Power, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Kiley Reid. The novel has also attracted praise from pop singer Dua Lipa and rapper Stormzy.

Lipa called it a “tense and gripping read” when she picked it for her book club last month, while Stormzy recorded an extract of the book for a short film that was played at this year’s ceremony.

Szalay was presented the prize at a ceremony held in London on Monday night (10th November), during which he said that writing the book “felt risky”.

Taking to the stage, he said: "There was a sense of risk being taken. And I think it's very important that we did take those risks. Fiction can take risks – aesthetic, formal or even moral risks. It's important the novel community embraces risk."

He continued: "This wasn't easy to write. I didn't cope that graciously or wisely to the pressure – the only person witness to that was my wife," he adds, who he then thanks for sharing the experience with him.

Flesh follows the emotionally detached and withdrawn István from adolescence to old age, as his life is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp, and explores masculinity, class, power, intimacy and migration.

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