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Booker Prize at Birkbeck

The Booker Prize has been the UK's leading literary award for over 50 years. Every autumn, Birkbeck hosts an evening with a Booker Prize nominee, which gives students, staff and alumni the opportunity to hear from, and pose questions to, a celebrated writer. Hundreds of free copies of the book under discussion are distributed to students beforehand.

2019

Christopher Hampton, playwright, screenwriter, translator and film director, in conversation with Ian McEwan about his book Atonement, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2001.

Read a blog post about the event.

2018

Mohsin Hamid is the author of Exit West, which was longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, which was shortlisted in 2007. 

Read a blog post about Mohsin Hamid in conversation at Birkbeck 

2017

Julian Barnes's novel, The Sense of an Ending, was the Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize. 

Read a blog post about Julian Barnes in conversation at Birkbeck 

2016

Colm Tóibín's Man Booker Prize-nominated novels include The Blackwater Lightship (1999), The Master (2004), Brooklyn (2009) and The Testament of Mary (2012). 

Read a blog post about Colm Tóibín in conversation at Birkbeck 

2015

Ali Smith's critically acclaimed novel How to be Both (2014) was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. 

Read a blog post about Ali Smith in conversation at Birkbeck  

2014

Hilary Mantel is the first British author to win the Man Booker Prize twice: for Wolf Hall in 2009 and for Bring up the Bodies in 2012. 

Read a blog post about Hilary Mantel in conversation at Birkbeck 

2013

Alan Hollinghurst won the Man Booker Prize in 2004 for his novel The Line of Beauty

Read a blog post about Alan Hollinghurst in conversation at Birkbeck 

2012

Kazuo Ishiguro was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2005 for his novel Never Let Me Go, having previously won the Prize in 1989 for The Remains of the Day

Read a blog post about Kazuo Ishiguro in conversation at Birkbeck 

2011

Sarah Waters was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009 for The Little Stranger, in 2006 for The Night Watch, and in 2002 for Fingersmith

Read a blog post about Sarah Waters in conversation at Birkbeck