Samantha Harvey's space-station novel Orbital wins Booker Prize

Last Updated15/11/2024

British writer Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday with “Orbital,” a short, wonder-filled novel set aboard the International Space Station that ponders the beauty and fragility of Earth.

British writer Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, a contemplative story set on the International Space Station (ISS) that delves into themes of humanity’s relationship with Earth, the fragility of the planet, and the interconnectedness of all life.

Harvey's novel, described as a “space pastoral,” follows six astronauts aboard the ISS who, while orbiting Earth, are captivated by the planet's beauty and fragility. As they witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in a day, their confinement in space becomes a metaphor for humanity’s entangled fate with Earth. Harvey explained that while Orbital does not explicitly address climate change, the view of Earth from space underscores the consequences of human actions on the environment.

Harvey dedicated her win to those advocating for environmental protection and human dignity, saying, “What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves.” The novel’s implicit message about environmental stewardship and global peace resonated with many. Gaby Wood, the Booker Prize Foundation’s chief executive, highlighted that Orbital is “hopeful, timely, and timeless” amid the global climate crisis and political instability.

Edmund de Waal, chair of the judging panel, called Orbital a “miraculous novel” that “makes our world strange and new for us.” He praised Harvey’s “crystalline” writing style and noted that the novel’s brevity (at 136 pages) allows readers to fully absorb its depth and nuances. The judging panel, after a full day of deliberation, unanimously selected Orbital as the winner from a shortlist that included notable authors from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands.
A Diverse Shortlist
Other finalists included:
- Percival Everett (USA) for James, reimagining Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved character.
- Rachel Kushner (USA) for Creation Lake, a spy thriller.
- Anne Michaels (Canada) for Held, a poetic novel.
- Charlotte Wood (Australia) for Stone Yard Devotional, an Australian family saga.
- Yael van der Wouden (Netherlands) for The Safekeep, marking the first Booker shortlist nod for a Dutch author.

Harvey is the first British and female winner since 2019, and she expressed gratitude for the honor. The Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in literature, has significantly transformed the careers of past winners.
Harvey plans to spend her £50,000 ($64,000) prize on practicalities and dreams—covering taxes, buying a new bike, and fulfilling her wish to visit Japan.