Why the Booker Prize longlist is the highlight of my year

It happens every year in July. As we settle into our summer selves and the sweltering heat pummels our bodies and brains, the Booker Prize longlist drops. From the outside, my work doesn’t look any different from usual. I sit at my desk. I type. But on the inside? On the inside, I’m thrilled. I’m on the edge of my seat. Because the Booker Prize longlist has arrived, and this is my Olympics.

This year’s longlist, unveiled at precisely 00:01am BST on Tuesday, is no exception. Covering major literary prizes is always one of the highlights of my year as a culture writer. I love the secrecy of it. I love the excitement. I love seeing some incredible up-and-coming authors being celebrated and given the recognition they deserve.

In case this wasn’t evident, I’m a committed book person (by which I mean I have too many books and not enough room in the flat I share with my husband and our dog). I’ve written two novels myself, one in French and one in English. And I love authors like some people love rock stars. Announcements like the Booker Prize longlist mean that, for a few hours a year, books are major headline news. People cheer. Some are ecstatic; some are disappointed. There’s discourse. There’s drama. For a few hours, it feels like books matter to absolutely everyone.

Of course, it’s not all thrills and excitement. Literary prizes are complicated. Some writers don’t even want to hope for prizes, because whether you get nominated for one or not isn’t something you can control, and writers have a hard enough time caring for their mental health as it is. Some writers care about prizes, while some prefer to detach themselves from that aspect of the trade entirely. No one is wrong here.

As a reporter, though, I find it’s always a joy when a brilliant author skyrockets to transatlantic fame after being longlisted or shortlisted for the Booker. Last year, I was particularly happy to see Brandon Taylor, the author of the brilliant novel Real Life and of the acclaimed short story collection Filthy Animals, make the shortlist. And now, I’m thrilled to see Rachel Cusk, Maggie Shipstead, Patricia Lockwood and Kazuo Ishiguro on this year’s longlist. Being in the running for the Booker usually means a major boost in sales, and, I would hope, in confidence.

I want to believe that awards nominations empower writers to be bold and explore whichever creative avenues they desire. I know I’ll be cheering for present and future nominees from behind my laptop screen.

Yours,

Clémence Michallon

US culture writer