David Szalay wins the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Meat.
The decision marks a shift in literary focus, as judges describe the winning book as “dark,” triumphing by turning its gaze toward a demographic often overlooked in literary fiction and by underwriting a deep humanity in its spare prose.
The story revolves around the protagonist, István, from his adolescence in a Hungarian council estate to his unlikely rise to the world of extreme wealth in London.
The chairman of the judging panel, Roddy Doyle, said the book “focuses on a working-class man, who is not normally given much attention.”
He also added that the novel “invites us to look behind the face” of an ordinary man who often becomes invisible.
With the book’s win, it’s clear that the Booker judges valued emotional authenticity over escapism.
Szalay’s minimalist approach, using blank pages to show pain and sparse dialogue, forces readers to deeply engage with István’s inner world.
“It is, in many ways, a dark book, but it is a pleasure to read,” Doyle noted, noting that the novel’s power lies in its unflinching honesty rather than a redemptive narrative.
The victory also shows a broader cultural moment, where stories of class, migration and complex masculinity resonate deeply.
By granting MeatThe Booker Prize has not only crowned an exceptional novel but has also validated the profound literary value of telling quiet and challenging stories from the margins of society.
Other contenders for the 2025 Booker Prize were Susan Choi FlashKiran Desai The loneliness of Sonia and SunnyKatie Kitamura HearingBen Markovits The rest of our livesand Andrew Miller The earth in winter.
