The inspiration:
On Sunday 13 October 2013 I went along to The Man Booker Prize Readings at the Southbank Centre. This is where the shortlisted authors for the prize that year read from their book and do a Q&A with the audience. At some point in the evening I had a perfectly rational thought, that I’d like to read all the prize winning books. The less rational bit is that I thought I’d like to do it before I turn 30. I blame a number of friends (they know who they are) who have recently completed challenges before significant birthdays.
The challenge:
To read all the Booker Prize winning books by my 30th Birthday – 15 July 2016.
What this means:
The Booker Prize was started in 1969, 44 years ago (from 2013), but thanks to a couple of years where 2 winners were announced – 1974 and 1992* (!), the additional 2 winners who will be announced before my 30th Birthday, and the fact that I’ve only read one past winner (The Life of Pi by Yann Martel) there are a grand total of 47 books to read in the next 32 months and 8 days.
A bit about me:
I’ve always loved reading and have happy memories of it as a hobby throughout my life so far. However, I’m no literary buff (A-level English Literature certainly doesn’t count), I usually read what takes my fancy or what friends and family recommend or lend me at a pace that varies greatly and fits in with whatever if going on in my life at that point in time. But I love a challenge, especially one I can make a list for and work my way through.
My plan:
I plan to write about each of the winning books I read on my adventure, at the moment there’s no specific plan about what order I’m going read them in or what I’m going to write, as with all adventures I think it should be a fluid thing that evolves as I go along!
Join me on my adventure and please feel free to share your thoughts, comments and questions on what I write – and suggest which one from the list I should read next!
- My ticket to the prize readings 2013 – where it all began!
- The little booklet of winners!
Amy's adventures in award winning literature 
Good luck!
Good luck! I feel like I should try and read more of the Booker winners, I have a few on my shelf yet to be read. I’m so jealous that you went to the The Man Booker Prize Readings at the Southbank Centre, I almost booked tickets until I realised I had to work!
Thanks Yasmine. If you get round to reading some of the winners let me know what you think or if you’ve got any thoughts on the ones I’ve read so far!
I would definitely recommend the Prize Readings if you can go next year, that was the second time I’ve been and both times I’ve enjoyed reading some of the shortlist beforehand, and best of all you get read to by the author themselves!
I have finally found time to read your list and it looks quite daunting – I will have to see whether I can manage a few of them and try and recall the gist of those I have read in the past!
Good luck with an excellent challenge………..
Mum x
Youve progressed much further than I have in my own Booker prize challenge – I have been at this now for 5 years and still have 11 titles to go.
Thank you! I feel like I’ve only read a small number of other things the last few years because of it, and although I haven’t completely restricted myself from reading anything I fancy I am looking forward to having more reading freedom!
I let myself get distracted by other kinds of reading