The Booker Prizes celebrates the world’s most outstanding fiction, whether written in or translated into English, and each month they shine a spotlight on a different book from the Booker Library.
The final Monthly Spotlight of the year is Anna Burns’ Milkman, and includes an article about Milkman by Northern Irish writer Colin Crummy and an in-depth reading guide, an extract from the beginning of the novel":https://bit.ly/3XOX64v and a chance to win one of five copies of the book.
We will be sharing the Booker Prizes Monthly Spotlight for you to enjoy each month.
Introducing the Booker Prizes December Monthly Spotlight: Milkman by Anna Burns.
As amusing as it is menacing, Milkman is set in an unnamed city in 1970s Northern Ireland. Our protagonist, known only as middle sister, is a bookish young woman who, unintentionally, stands out in a community where to be different is dangerous.
Middle sister attracts the unwelcome attention of an older man known as the milkman. He begins to stalk her, unleashing a wave of gossip and wilful ignorance, and inaction that has enormous consequences.
Anna Burns was the first Northern Irish writer to win the Booker Prize. She lived in Belfast during the Troubles, and her experiences shaped the novel: ‘I grew up in a place that was rife with violence, distrust and paranoia, and peopled by individuals trying to navigate and survive in that world as best as they could.’
When asked why they picked Milkman as the winner, the 2018 judges said the novel was ‘extraordinary’, ‘unusual’, ‘fearless’ and ‘inventive’.
The Booker Prize 2025
The 2025 winner for the Booker Prize —the world’s most significant award for a single work of fiction—has been announced as Flesh by David Slazay!
Find out more about the winner here and grab your winner digital pack here.
A reminder of the shortlist here.
Look back at the longlist here
Get involved
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Keep up with all the latest news on the Booker Prizes website.
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