Where to start with… guides

As last year’s Chair of Booker Prize judges curates a new Booker-themed short-story collection, we offer a whistlestop tour of his finest writing  

Beryl Bainbridge is known for writing idiosyncratic, macabre, psychologically astute, often hilarious novels. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize five times – but which of her many books should you read first?

Winning the Booker Prize in 1996 with Last Orders, Graham Swift’s work is praised for its simple but powerful portrayal of English life

As the American author with the most Booker Prize nominations, Richard Powers’ books often explore the intersection between technology with the natural world. Here’s our guide to his ever-expanding list of powerful novels

Hailed as the voice of a generation and a modern-day Charles Dickens, Zadie Smith is an astute chronicler of our times. But which of her works of fiction should you read first?

From unreliable narrators and heartbreaking revelations to ‘the perfect novel’, here is our guide to the 1989 Booker Prize winner’s finest fiction 

From her most famous novels to more experimental works, from recent triumphs to the book that started it all, here’s our guide to the very best of the two-time Booker Prize winner’s fiction

As a Booker Prize winner with multiple shortlistings, Ian McEwan stands among the most celebrated authors in modern literary history. As he marks 50 years in print, we select some of his best works

Her Neapolitan Quartet has been hailed as the one of the best fictional series of all time, drawing comparisons with Balzac and Dickens. Here, discover how to begin exploring Ferrante’s remarkable body of work

Having won the Booker Prize twice, and been nominated six times, J.M. Coetzee is considered one of the greatest living writers in English. But which of his books should you read first?

William Boyd has written 17 novels and multiple collections of stories, spanning fictional biographies, foreign adventures and even a James Bond thriller. So where’s the best place to start with the twice Booker Prize-nominated author?  

Doris Lessing wrote over 70 works, including three novels that were nominated for a Booker Prize. Discover where to start with her writing and fiction

Muriel Spark was a writer of astonishing productivity, writing 22 titles which were varied in subject matter. So which one should you read first?

Celebrated for her spellbinding historical fiction and Gothic flair, Sarah Waters has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times. Here, her editor of over 20 years, Lennie Goodings, offers a guide to her work

Julian Barnes, winner of the 2011 Booker Prize, is known for funny, experimental works that often explore the slippery nature of memory and truth. But which of his books should you read first?

Iris Murdoch wrote 26 novels, seven of which were nominated for a Booker Prize, but with so many great books to choose from, where should you start?