A Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist Reaction + The Best Shortlist Ever

Following the Booker Prize 2023 shortlist announcement, Jo and James share a hot off the press reaction to this year's six finalists before heading onto the topic at hand: which year saw the best ever Booker Prize shortlist? To help Jo and James along the way, they're joined by Bob Jackson – a man who has read every single book ever shortlisted for the award. That's over 300 books, spanning from the Booker's inception in 1969 up to the present day. So, listen in and find out which shortlist gets crowned as the best one ever.

In this episode Jo and James:

Ask Bob to reveal his favourite (and least favourite) books from the Booker archive

Hear how Bob approached his quest to reading every Booker-shortlisted book

Discuss their contenders for which year's shortlist is best

Argue it out until just one shortlist is crowned the winner

Reading list:

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery

This Other Eden by Paul Harding

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

How late it was, how late by James Kelman

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

The Good Terrorist by Doris Lessing

Last Letters from Hav by Jan Morris

The Good Apprentice by Iris Murdoch

The Battle of Pollocks Crossing by J.L. Carr

Illywhacker by Peter Carey

A Disaffection by James Kelman

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

Restoration by Rose Tremain

The Book of Evidence by John Banville

Jigsaw by Sybille Bedford

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes

Small World by David Lodge

Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard

Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner

In Custody by Anita Desai

According to Mark by Penelope Lively

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi

The Keepers of Truth by Michael Collins

When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro

English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

The Deposition of Father McGreevy by Brian O'Doherty

Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien

Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

All That Man Is by David Szalay

His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet

The Sellout by Paul Beatty

The Sea by John Banville

Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry

The Accidental by Ali Smith

Join the Booker Prize Book Club to connect with readers from across the world about all things Booker Prize 2023 and beyond.

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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