Celebrated British author Samantha Harvey has claimed the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, marking the first time a space-set novel has won this prestigious £50,000 literary prize. Harvey’s “ambitious and beautiful” work stands out not only for its unique setting aboard the International Space Station but also as a novel that captures the cosmic and the human, unfolding over a single day.
Orbital, a compact masterpiece at just 136 pages, is the second-shortest novel to win the Booker Prize and covers the briefest time frame of any shortlisted title. The story follows six astronauts and cosmonauts as they witness Earth from orbit, experiencing 16 sunrises and sunsets in 24 hours. The novel’s mesmerizing portrayal of Earth’s beauty and fragility as it spins past continents, seasons, and time zones has resonated with readers, making it the best-selling book on the shortlist in the UK.
Judges praised Orbital for its “lyricism and acuity,” describing Harvey’s language as both expansive and intimate. Through the astronauts’ observations, readers are invited to reflect on the individual and collective value of human life, all from the perspective of the vast and uncharted expanse of space. Harvey’s exploration of Earth as seen from the space station breathes new life into familiar landscapes and reawakens awe in our planet’s splendour.
The Booker Prize ceremony took place on Tuesday at Old Billingsgate in the City of London, with Harvey receiving the award among a historic shortlist dominated by women. With this win, Orbital joins the ranks of Booker Prize winners that challenge the boundaries of storytelling and captivate the imagination.
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