M. John Harrison’s The End of Everything has won the 2026 Booker Prize.

In London, M. John Harrison has been awarded the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel, The End of Everything. Mary Beard, Chair of the judging panel, praised the book for its ability to turn readers upside down, while still leaving them with a sense of optimism. The story centers around Phillip Tennent and his elderly aunt, Marnie, who live on the south coast of England in a future following a mysterious catastrophe.

A strange invasion of "iGhetti" has occurred, causing social norms to crumble and vigilantes to take control of law and order. Life continues in some semblance of normalcy, but people struggle to understand the events that have transpired.

One of the main themes of the novel is that if an apocalypse were to happen, it would be incomprehensible, and old rules would no longer apply. Phillip finds an "item" on the beach—a jelly-like blob that starts to communicate and instruct his human caretakers. The book was unanimously chosen from the shortlist of six authors announced in September. Harrison, who is 81 years old, is the oldest author to win the prize in its history. He will receive £50,000, with each of the other shortlisted authors taking home £2,500.