Hungarian-British writer David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his novel Flesh, a dark yet compelling portrayal of one man’s journey through youth, manhood and identity.

Szalay’s sixth work of fiction follows István, a Hungarian man whose life unfolds from a turbulent adolescence to midlife, exploring masculinity, class, migration, trauma, sex and power in spare, unflinching prose.

The £50,000 award was announced Monday evening at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London. The judging panel, chaired by 1993 Booker winner Roddy Doyle, reached a unanimous decision, calling Flesh “a joy to read” despite its darkness.

It presents us with a certain type of man and invites us to look behind the face,” Doyle said, praising Szalay’s raw depiction of working-class masculinity.

The panel also included actor Sarah Jessica Parker and writers Chris Power, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, and Kiley Reid.

Szalay, previously shortlisted in 2016 for All That Man Is, topped a strong shortlist featuring Andrew Miller (The Land in Winter), Kiran Desai (The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny), Susan Choi (Flashlight), Katie Kitamura (Audition), and Ben Markovits (The Rest of Our Lives).

Born in Montreal to a Hungarian father and Canadian mother, Szalay grew up in London and now lives in Vienna. His earlier works include London and the South-East, Spring, The Innocent, and Turbulence.