20 of the best summer reads nominated for the Booker Prize, chosen by our readers
From unforgettable settings to novels that keep you on the edge of your deck chair, these are your favourite books to escape with as the temperature rises
Six Booker Prize-nominated novels with a sporting edge
Get into the Olympic spirit with these Booker Prize-nominated novels, which offer a fresh take on the world of sports
A summer of sport unfolds before us as we eagerly await the start of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The games embody passion, determination, and the pursuit of excellence – much like great literature, reflecting a spirit we often see in both authors and their writing. As Booker Prize 2024 judge Sara Collins noted in a recent interview, the Booker is ‘a bit like the Olympic gold medal of book awards’.
To celebrate this synergy between sport and storytelling, we’ve curated a list of books that incorporate sports, whether as a central theme or simply a brief scene. They capture the highs and lows of life on and off the field, from the thrill of competition to the sanctuary it offers for some.
So, as you cheer on your favourite athletes, why not pick up one of these Booker Prize-nominated books, too?
Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
While squash won’t make its Olympic debut until 2028, the sport takes centre stage in Western Lane by Chetna Maroo, which was shortlisted last year for the Booker Prize 2023. The novel tells the story of 11-year-old Gopi and her family as they navigate life after their mother’s death. Their father, searching for discipline for his three daughters, encourages Gopi and her sisters to take up the game. Gopi’s talent flourishes under his rigorous training regime, and while on the court, she finds refuge and the space to grieve.
Maroo, who played squash while growing up, describes the games with vivid detail, capturing the precise movement of bodies, the impact of the ball (‘a quick, low pistol-shot of a sound, with a close echo’), and the rhythm of the court. This coming-of-age story offers a poignant exploration of grief, and the ways in which people connect and find solace amidst loss.
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The Yips by Nicola Barker
Set just outside of London and spanning only a few days, this comedic story follows former golf star Stuart Ransom as he gears up for a forthcoming tournament. No stranger to a scandal (or two), he struggles to redeem himself as his golfing career flounders and he develops a bad case of the yips – a movement disorder that affects the ability of the wrists.
Amidst a backdrop of the game, an array of eccentric characters come into this orbit: a tattooist, a cancer survivor, and a sex therapist, among others. Their lives intertwine, exploring themes of identity and personal growth. The Guardian praised The Yips, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2012, for its ‘generosity of attention and invention, calling it a novel that’s ‘more than just odd’.
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Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
Another sport set to be included in the 2028 Olympic Games, Netherland – longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2008 – follows Hans, a wealthy Dutch banker living in New York just after the tragedy of 9/11. Feeling lost and alone after his wife leaves him and returns to London with their son, he stumbles across a New York subculture of cricket players.
There, he befriends Chuck Ramkissoon, a Gatsby-like figure helps Hans to find a community within the sport and rediscover his childhood passion for the game, providing a much-needed sense of stability. As Hans becomes part of the team, he begins to rebuild his life and find his footing in the post-9/11 world.
The New York Times praised author Joseph O’Neill for his depiction. He ‘writes about cricket not with Beckettian economy, but with an insider’s knowledge and a metaphorical sweep,’ they said, hailing Neverland as ‘the first great American novel underpinned by a deep understanding of the complexity of spin bowling’.
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In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunarante
Three young men – Selvon, Ardan, and Yusuf – and two of their parents narrate Guy Gunarante’s London council estate-set debut. Tensions flare after the killing of a British soldier, and over the course of two days, the book vividly depicts the violent and hostile nature that plagues the city and its residents.
While each of the three is from different cultural backgrounds, they all share one commonality: an immense love of football. On the pitch, they channel a different life. ‘We were playing for ourselves, assuming mantles and imitating gods. We imagined ourselves as those we idolised. I was Zidane during those games,’ Yusuf said.
Longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2018, the Guardian described In Our Mad and Furious City as ‘a tinderbox of a novel’, highlighting the football match in the caged court on the estate as ‘a moment of peace in a city simmering with social tensions’.
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Under The Frog by Tibor Fischer
Tibor Fischer’s Under The Frog details the lives of two 20-something Hungarian travelling basketball players, Pataki and Gyuri. Partly based on personal experience – Fischer’s parents were both professional basketball players in Hungary – the novel is set between the end of World War II and the anti-Soviet uprising of 1956. Under a totalitarian regime, the two protagonists find themselves in a series of questionable situations as they practice and play the game in different cities across Hungary.
Shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1993, Under The Frog has been described as a black comedy, a novel that captures the horror of the unrest in Hungary all the while using dark humour to lighten the mood of the turbulent post-war period.
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The Van by Roddy Doyle
The Van, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1991, is the third installment of Roddy Doyle’s acclaimed Barrytown Trilogy, a series which began life with The Commitments in 1987 – a novel that was later adapted into the cult-status film of the same name. His comedy-drama centres around the Rabbitte family in Dublin and in The Van, he follows the escapades of down-and-out Jimmy Rabbitte Sr. and his best friend Bimbo as they buy an old fish and chip van in an attempt to lift themselves out of unemployment.
Football fever has gripped Ireland as the national team finds some unlikely success in the Italia ’90 World Cup, which serves as a backdrop to the novel. The duo capitalise on the baying football crowds outside their local pub, as the fans gather to toast their wins and drown their sorrows. At its heart, The Van is a novel about people, rather than events, one that explores male friendship through Doyle’s witty and sharp Irish vernacular that he is renowned for.
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Further reading
While the following books weren’t nominated for the prize, they were written by Booker Prize-nominated authors and contain sporting moments that deserve an honorary mention.
Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka
The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson
This Sporting Life by David Storey
The Only Story by Julian Barnes
Underworld by Don DeLillo
