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Booker Prize judges have denied that last week’s riots in Dublin strongly influenced their choice of this year’s winner – a novel chronicling clashes between police and protesters in Ireland.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, 46, was named the winner after a full day of discussions on Saturday, with judges insisting current events were not a “central factor” in their decision.
But chairman of the judges Esi Edugyan admitted yesterday that although the recent chaos in Dublin was not “particularly front of mind”, it nevertheless figured in their discussions.
“It wasn’t the central factor but I accept it was something that was raised,” she said.
“We cannot let world events dictate the choice of the best novel published that year.
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch, 46, was named the winner after a full day of discussions on Saturday, with judges insisting current events were not a “central factor” in their decision.
Booker Prize judges have denied that last week’s riots in Dublin strongly influenced their choice of this year’s winner – a novel recounting clashes between police and protesters in Ireland
Chairman of the judges Esi Edugyan admitted yesterday that although the recent chaos in Dublin was not “particularly front of mind”, it nevertheless figured in their discussions.
“But we wanted to choose a title that reflected the things that we’re all dealing with right now. I think we felt that all the novels did that in their own way, they really reflected the issues that we’re all facing.
Mr Lynch, the fifth Irish author to win the Booker Prize, beat Sarah Bernstein’s Study for Obedience, Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting, Paul Harding’s This Other Eden, Chetna Maroo’s Western Lane and Jonathan Escoffery’s If I Survive You .
Ms. Edugyan said Mr. Lynch was not a unanimous choice of judges Adjoa Andoh, Mary Jean Chan, James Shapiro and Robert Webb.
She added: “In these troubled times, we were looking for a novel with a guiding vision – a book to remind us that we are more than ourselves, to remind us of everything worth saving.”
Gaby Wood, of the Booker Foundation, said she did not expect protests at last night’s ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London because the winner was a close secret.
“We have heavy security at the scene, but if there are protests, we will allow people to speak,” she said.
Mr. Lynch’s novel is set in a dystopian Ireland that has fallen into totalitarianism under the National Alliance party. Larry Stack, a teacher and union leader, is “disappeared” by the secret police, leaving his wife to try to protect their family in the face of civil war.
A Prophet Song beat out books such as The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, This Other Eden by Paul Harding, If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery and Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein to take home the top prize.
The winner was one of four Irish writers – Sebastian Barry, Elaine Feeney, Paul Lynch and Paul Murray – who made up the shortlist of 13 people shortlisted for this year’s prestigious literary prize.
After receiving the prize at London’s Old Billingsgate Hall, Mr Lynch said: “It is with great pleasure that I take the Booker home to Ireland.”
Lynch was born in Limerick in 1977 and now lives in Dublin. His other novels are Beyond the Sea, Grace, The Black Snow and Red Sky in Morning.
He is the fifth Irish author to win this award, after Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle and Anne Enright.
Last night’s keynote speaker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe revealed she read Margaret Atwood’s banned book The Handmaid’s Tale in prison in Iran, after mailing it to one of her fellow prisoners.
The Booker Prize is one of the major literary awards in the English-speaking world. Previous winners include Margaret Atwood, Hilary Mantel, Bernardine Evaristo and Salman Rushdie
The prize winner receives £50,000. The sum of £2,500 is also awarded to each of the six shortlisted authors.
The Booker Prize is one of the major literary prizes in the English-speaking world.
Prophet Song beat out books such as The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, This Other Eden by Paul Harding, If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery and Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein to take home the top prize.
Mr. Lynch’s novel is set in a dystopian Ireland that has fallen into totalitarianism under the National Alliance party.
Robert Webb was one of the judges alongside Adjoa Andoh, Mary Jean Chan and James Shapiro.
Ireland has been left in shock after as many as 500 thugs responded to a horrific stabbing attack on schoolchildren in Dublin on Thursday by launching an anti-migrant campaign.
Shocking scenes saw police officers attacked, leaving around 50 people injured – one at risk of having a toe amputated – while buses and a tram were set on fire.
The Booker Prize also came under criticism in September, amid a row over the number of female authors on the shortlist.
Ireland was left in shock this weekend after as many as 500 thugs responded to a horrific stabbing attack on schoolchildren in Dublin on Thursday by launching an anti-migrant campaign.
Fueled by online misinformation and unsubstantiated rumors that the person behind the attack – which left three children and a woman injured – was a foreign national, the crowds gathered near some of the city’s most iconic places, some waving flags and holding signs saying “Irish”. Lives matter.”
Shocking scenes saw police officers attacked, leaving around 50 injured – one with a toe amputated – while buses and a tram were set on fire, with a driver punched and dragged from his Taxi.
The Irish Times has since reported that the attacker had lived in Ireland for around 20 years.
Dublin’s ‘night of shame’ was condemned this morning by the Irish Prime Minister as a clean-up operation began following fighting between rioters and police.
Photos taken this morning in the Irish capital showed council workers clearing out wrecked buses and cars set on fire by the thugs as they rampaged through the streets and looted shops.