A stellar line-up for 2020 The Booker Prize ceremony
This year The Booker Prize ceremony will be available on audio on BBC Radio 4 and livestreamed on BBC iPlayer and BBC Arts Digital with special guests including HRH The Duchess of Cornwall and President Obama
The globally accessible 2020 winner ceremony of The Booker Prize will be hosted by John Wilson on November 19, 7-8pm, with a line-up of both virtual and in-person special guests including President Obama and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Three former Booker Prize winners Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo and 2020 chair of judges Margaret Busby will also be in attendance as it’s broadcast in partnership with the BBC from London’s Roundhouse.
President Obama will talk about what reading Booker Prize novels has meant to him and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will share her thoughts on the importance of reading during the pandemic. Kazuo Ishiguro will be talking to John about the experience of having won both The Booker Prize and The Nobel Prize in Literature, and Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo will share what they’ve been up to in their year as Booker Prize winners.
The shortlisted authors
All six shortlisted authors — Diane Cook (The New Wilderness), Tsitsi Dangarembga (This Mournable Body), Avni Doshi (Burnt Sugar), Maaza Mengiste (The Shadow King), Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain) and Brandon Taylor (Real Life) — will join the ceremony via a special screen in the Roundhouse and as part of a series of interviews filmed and produced by the BBC.
For the first time, The Booker Prize has partnered with The Old Vic to bring the shortlisted books to life. The six readings, directed by The Old Vic Baylis Director Katy Rudd, have been performed and filmed on The Old Vic stage and will be showcased exclusively in the ceremony.
This year’s chair of judges, Margaret Busby, will be interviewed in person by John before announcing the winner.
Get to know the authors and their books
Ahead of the winner ceremony, there are still plenty of opportunities for readers to get to know the shortlisted authors and their books.
On Friday November 13 (7pm GMT), Doncaster Creates, the prize’s regional partner for 2020, will bring together the six shortlisted authors with Sheffield-born poet and former Man Booker International judge, Helen Mort.
And over three consecutive nights leading up to the winner announcement, The Booker Prize and Waterstones are hosting Instagram Live conversations, featuring interviews with two shortlisted authors every day. On Monday November 16, author and presenter Sara Collins will interview Tsitsi Dangarembga (6.30pm GMT) and Diane Cook (7.15pm GMT); on Tuesday November 17 journalist Sarah Shaffi will interview Avni Doshi (1pm GMT) and Maaza Mengiste (7.30pm GMT) and on Wednesday November 18 presenter and BookTuber Simon Savidge will interview Douglas Stuart (7.30pm GMT) and Brandon Taylor (8.15pm GMT).
Allison Hay
I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.
