Small publishers are sweeping the Booker and Nobel prizes
Independent companies are outclassing their bigger rivals
In recent years the judges of the Booker prize, Britain’s most prestigious literary award, have opted for sombre novels about apartheid, civil war and poverty. The winner for 2023 is, once again, not the sort of jolly yarn that will provide relief from the news. “Prophet Song” imagines Ireland’s descent into totalitarianism. Paul Lynch, the author (pictured), has said he was “trying to see into the modern chaos”.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Small, but mighty”
Culture December 2nd 2023
- Two film awards reveal the battle for the future of Chinese cinema
- Small publishers are sweeping the Booker and Nobel prizes
- Willa Cather and Larry McMurtry shared subjects and sensibilities
- In Russia’s arsenal the knife and fork have been powerful weapons
- Museums are learning to love NFTs
- These are The Economist’s favourite podcasts of 2023
From the December 2nd 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Angela Merkel sets out to restore her reputation
But her new memoir is unlikely to change her critics’ minds
The best books of 2024, as chosen by The Economist
Readers will never think the same way again about games, horses and spies
What to read to understand Elon Musk
The world’s richest man was shaped by science fiction
Tech and religion are very much alike
They both have gods, rich institutions and secretive cultures
Woodrow Wilson’s reputation continues to decline
A dispassionate new biography chronicles the former president’s hostility to suffrage
The cult of Jordan Peterson
What the Canadian intellectual gets right about young men