by Muhammad Nadeem
SRINAGAR: In a Booker Prize ceremony at Old Billingsgate, Irish author Paul Lynch emerged victorious with his dystopian masterpiece, Prophet Song, clinching the literary award. The 50,000 dollar (52,62,150 INR) prize was presented by Shehan Karunatilaka, the 2022 winner, in a ceremony hosted by Samira Ahmed and broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 Front Row.
Chair of Judges, Esi Edugyan, lauded Lynch’s work, describing Prophet Song as a “soul-shattering and true” novel that “forces us out of our complacency.” Edugyan emphasized the novel’s power to unsettle, stating, “Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.”
Lynch shared insights into Prophet Song, saying, “It is partly an attempt at radical empathy. I wanted to deepen the reader’s immersion to such a degree that by the end of the book, they would not just know, but feel this problem for themselves.” He clarified that the novel serves as a reflection of modern chaos, addressing issues like the Syrian war and the refugee crisis.
In response to recent violent protests in Dublin, Lynch expressed his astonishment while recognizing the perpetual undercurrent of such energies. He stated, “I didn’t write this book to specifically say ‘here’s a warning’. I wrote the book to articulate the message that the things that are happening in this book are occurring timelessly throughout the ages.”
Lynch’s win marks a significant moment in Irish literary history, as he becomes the fifth Irish author to claim the Booker Prize. He joins the esteemed ranks of Iris Murdoch, John Banville, Roddy Doyle, and Anne Enright. Lynch’s achievement adds another chapter to Ireland’s rich literary legacy.
Prophet Song is published by Oneworld, an independent publisher that previously secured consecutive wins in 2015 and 2016. The publisher’s success continues with Lynch’s powerful exploration of dystopia and societal collapse.
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, shared her experiences of finding liberation through books during her time in solitary confinement. “When the guard opened the door and handed over the books to me, I felt liberated; I could read books, they could take me to another world, and that could transform my life,” she said.
Reviewers praised Prophet Song as a crucial book for our current times, echoing the violence in Palestine, Ukraine, and Syria. Lynch’s exploration of authoritarianism, displacement, and violence resonates globally, transcending the boundaries of the Irish context.
In the words of Esi Edugyan, “With great vividness, Prophet Song captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment. Readers will find it soul-shattering and true, and will not soon forget its warnings.” Paul Lynch’s win cements “Prophet Song” as a powerful work that leaves an indelible mark on the literary landscape, addressing critical societal issues through compelling storytelling.
