“I felt Flesh is quite a risky novel,” said David Szalay on stage last night after collecting his Booker Prize trophy. “It felt risky to me writing it.”
Flesh was selected as the best English-language released in the past year at the awards ceremony. Irish writer Roddy Doyle, chairing the judging panel, described Szalay’s novel as “not like any other book.”
The novel follows fifteen-year-old István, who begins a relationship with a married woman that sets him on a path from Hungary to Britain. In London, he discovers a new, glitzy world of wealth and privilege as chauffeur for an affluent family.
London offers István the chance to ingratiate himself into a culture and lifestyle foreign to him. It’s a city of opportunity, allowing for rapid social mobility and personal transformation.
Flesh exposes an intriguing contrast between Hungarian and British lives, a conduit already felt in the author’s dual British-Hungarian nationality.
Promotional material for Flesh was bolstered by high-profile artists based in London. Stormzy provided a sombre reading for a short film, while Dua Lipa selected it as her Book Club pick last month.
Celebrity involvement in the book’s publicity goes a long way to make a novel deemed “risky” more acceptable in the mainstream.
Digital reporter Albert Genower went to find out why the literary scene is utilizing celebrities to promote new publications:
HeadlineFlesh – the London rags-to-riches tale that won the 2025 Booker Prize
Short HeadlineThe London rags-to-riches tale that won the 2025 Booker Prize
StandfirstNovelist David Szalay wins big at literary awards ceremony.
“I felt Flesh is quite a risky novel,” said David Szalay on stage last night after collecting his Booker Prize trophy. “It felt risky to me writing it.”
Flesh was selected as the best English-language released in the past year at the awards ceremony. Irish writer Roddy Doyle, chairing the judging panel, described Szalay’s novel as “not like any other book.”
The novel follows fifteen-year-old István, who begins a relationship with a married woman that sets him on a path from Hungary to Britain. In London, he discovers a new, glitzy world of wealth and privilege as chauffeur for an affluent family.
London offers István the chance to ingratiate himself into a culture and lifestyle foreign to him. It’s a city of opportunity, allowing for rapid social mobility and personal transformation.
Flesh exposes an intriguing contrast between Hungarian and British lives, a conduit already felt in the author’s dual British-Hungarian nationality.
Promotional material for Flesh was bolstered by high-profile artists based in London. Stormzy provided a sombre reading for a short film, while Dua Lipa selected it as her Book Club pick last month.
Celebrity involvement in the book’s publicity goes a long way to make a novel deemed “risky” more acceptable in the mainstream.
Digital reporter Albert Genower went to find out why the literary scene is utilizing celebrities to promote new publications:
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