Paul Lynch, an Irish writer, has won the Booker Prize for his fifth novel “Prophet Song.” The prize comes with an award of 50,000 pounds. The novel provides a speculative look into Ireland descending into fascism and follows the perspective of a scientist and mother of four as her husband gets questioned by the secret police. The lack of paragraph breaks and quotation marks in the novel helps to create a sense of claustrophobic dread.
The chair of the judging panel, Esi Edugyan, commented that Lynch’s novel captures the social and political anxieties of the current moment and provides soul-shattering and true warnings. Lynch spent four years writing “Prophet Song” and drew inspiration from world events including Brexit and the rise of nationalism in Europe.
Lynch, known for his previous pastoral historical novels, has taken a departure from his usual genre with “Prophet Song.” Despite its topical nature, the judges chose the novel for its timeless themes of repression, familial love, and endurance during difficult times.
“Prophet Song” will be published in the United States on December 12. This marks the fifth time that an Irish author has won the Booker Prize in its history.