Two Irish authors shortlisted for Booker Prize

Irish authors Paul Lynch and Paul Murray have been shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize. 

"The Bee Sting" by Paul Murray and "Prophet Song" by Paul Lynch are among the six books shortlisted for the coveted prize. 

The Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the English-speaking world. It is awarded annually to a novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom. The prize aims to recognize and celebrate the finest literary fiction and promote outstanding works by both established and emerging authors. 

Murray and Lynch have been nominated alongside Canadian author Sarah Bernstein ("Study for Obedience"), American author Jonathan Escoffery ("If I Survive You"), American author Paul Harding ("This Other Eden"), and British author Chetna Maroo ("Western Lane"). 

Set after the financial crash in 2008, Murray's book is a simultaneously thought-provoking and side-splitting novel that focuses on a rural Irish family struggling during the recession. 

Meanwhile, Lynch's novel is a claustrophobic tale of Ireland under fascist rule, gripping readers with a nightmarish story. 

A total of four Irish authors were longlisted for the Booker Prize in August, marking the first time that four Irish authors have been nominated for the award. 

Sebastian Barry's "Old God’s Time" and Elaine Feeney's "How to Build a Boat" were among the 13 books longlisted for the Booker Prize but did not make the shortlist, which was revealed on Thursday. 

Including this year’s longlistees, there has been a total of 37 Irish authors nominated for the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969, making Ireland the country that has produced the most nominees, relative to population size, in the prize’s history.

The winner of the 2023 Booker Prize will be announced on November 26 at an event at Old Billingsgate in London.