Everything you need to know about Prophet Song, winner of the Booker Prize 2023

26th November, 2023

As Paul Lynch becomes the fifth Irish writer to win the Booker Prize, heres the lowdown on his winning novel, Prophet Song

Why did Prophet Song win the Booker Prize?
Esi Edugyan, Chair of the judges, said: 

From that first knock at the door, Prophet Song forces us out of our complacency as we follow the terrifying plight of a woman seeking to protect her family in an Ireland descending into totalitarianism. We felt unsettled from the start, submerged in and haunted by the sustained claustrophobia of Lynchs powerfully constructed world. He flinches from nothing, depicting the reality of state violence and displacement and offering no easy consolations. Here the sentence is stretched to its limits Lynch pulls off feats of language that are stunning to witness. He has the heart of a poet, using repetition and recurring motifs to create a visceral reading experience. This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave. With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings. 

Find out more at the link here,
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/everything-you-need-to-know-about-prophet-song-booker-prize-2023-winner