David Szalay wins Booker prize with ‘extraordinary and singular' novel Flesh
The British-Hungarian author's novel exploring modern masculinity was chosen unanimously as this year's winner, says judging chair Roddy Doyle
www.independent.co.ukHere’s the latest I can share about David Szalay.
- Latest news: David Szalay won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh. He accepted the award in London, with a £50,000 prize, marking him as the first author of Hungarian heritage to win the prize.[1][2][6]
- Context: Flesh is Szalay’s sixth book and explores themes of modern masculinity through a sparse, ring-fenced narrative; the judges praised its risk-taking and sparseness.[6]
- Regional notes: Coverage highlighted Szalay’s Canadian-Hungarian-British background and his global literary profile, with multiple outlets noting the prize as a major milestone in his career.[2][3][6]
If you’d like, I can pull a few more recent articles or reviews from specific outlets (e.g., UK press vs. Canadian coverage) or summarize critical reception since the prize announcement.
Citations:
- Szalay wins Booker Prize 2025; Flesh; prize details.[1]
- Booker Prize 2025 coverage and Szalay’s background.[2]
- Independent’s coverage on Flesh and Szalay’s win.[6]