Damon Galgut wins the Booker Prize for his wonderful work in ‘The Promise. Galut is the third South African novelist to win the award and after a gap of 20 years.
2021 Booker Prize announced
Damon Galgut, a South African novelist won the prestigious prize on Wednesday. His book “The Promise,” is a story about a white family and the racist history of South Africa. Galgut was on the list of favorites to win the $69,000 prize money with his story of a troubled Afrikaner family and their broken promise to their Black employee. Additionally, the novel reflects several larger themes in the nation’s transformation from apartheid.
Founded in 1969, the prestigious prize is known for transforming the lives of writers. The award was originally only open to writers from Britain, Ireland, and other commonwealth nations. However, it expanded the eligibility to all English novels published in the UK in 2014. The panel decided the winner from a total of 158 novels. Additionally, out of the finalists, only one British writer was spotted. This is also adding to the debate that American writers are dominating the prize list.
More on Galgut’s triumph
Galgut won the prize after being a finalist three times in the Booker Prizes. previously, he was shortlisted for “In a Strange Room” in 2010 and “The Good Doctor” in 2003. “I’m sure he will be relieved that this time he’s the winner,” said Maya Jasanoff. Jasanoff chaired the panel as a judge and is a historian. Hence, as per Jasanoff, “The Promise” was profound, succinct, and forceful work.
Additionally, Jasanoff stated that several shortlisted novels represented the connections between the past and present. “This is a book that’s very much about inheritance and legacy. It’s about change over a period of decades. And I think it’s a book that invites reflection over the decades and invites and repays rereading,” she said. She added that it “combines an extraordinary story, rich themes — the history of the last 40 years in South Africa. In an incredibly well-wrought package.”
