Booker Prize, David Szalay, the author of the powerful novel Flesh, has become a significant milestone in the modern literary world. The Hungarian-British author examines the life experience of István, who was a difficult teenager in a Hungarian housing block, but now is facing the harsh realities of London in contemporary times. Flesh is written with remarkable simplicity and emotional richness that explores the theme of ambition, class, and human vulnerability.
David Szalay was born in 1974 in Montreal to a Canadian housewife and Hungarian father, and as a child, he relocated to the UK and attended the University of Oxford.
He has spent his life in London and now stays in Vienna, which reveals his worldviews.
His first novel, London and the South-East, was met with significant literary prizes that made him recognized as a unique international author.
Arundhati Roy (1997) – Won the Booker Prize with a love tale of Kerala that discusses caste, love, and family, The God of Small Things.
Kiran Desai (2006) - Awarded The Inheritance of Loss, which portrays identity and globalisation between India and the US.
Aravind Adiga (2008) - Received an award for the novel The White Tiger, which is a darkly comic novel about the issue of class struggle in contemporary India.
Geetanjali Shree's (2022) Tomb of Sand was named the winner of the International Booker Prize, the first Hindi-language novel to be awarded the prize.
The 2025 Booker Prize by David Szalay on Flesh is a watershed in global literature. Having overcome such strong rivals as Tommy Orange, Margaret Atwood, and Ali Smith, his powerful image of human struggle and desire has gained global recognition. This success makes Szalay one of the finest contemporary writers who inspires readers around the world.