David Szalay Wins 2025 Booker Prize for ‘Flesh’
Why in the news
David Szalay, a Hungarian-British writer, has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh. The result was announced in November 2025.
Key facts
- Winner: David Szalay (Hungarian-British).
- Book: Flesh, his sixth novel.
- Theme: a man’s rise from poverty in Hungary to wealth in London, touching on fate and ambition.
About the Booker Prize
- Founded in 1969 and presented as the leading award for a single work of fiction.
- It first recognised writers from the Commonwealth and Ireland, and now welcomes authors from any country.
- The work must be an original piece of fiction written in English.
- Bernice Rubens became the first woman winner, in 1970.
- The International Booker Prize started in 2005 and honours fiction translated into English, rewarding both author and translator.
Past Indian-linked winners
| Author | Book | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Salman Rushdie | Midnight’s Children | 1981 |
| Arundhati Roy | The God of Small Things | 1997 |
Exam angle
- Awards questions pair the winner with the book title.
- Do not confuse the Booker with the International Booker, which covers translated works.