Old Stoic Wins 2025 Booker Prize

12 November 2025

We are excited to share the incredible news that Old Stoic, David Szalay (Grenville 91), has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Booker Prize for his groundbreaking novel Flesh.

The award was announced at a glittering ceremony in London on 10 November, where David received the £50,000 prize and widespread acclaim for his sixth work of fiction. Flesh is a powerful written novel that follows István, a shy 15-year-old boy from a housing estate in Hungary who becomes a driver and security guard to the elite London’s super-rich. The story explores themes of class, migration, masculinity, and power, and has been praised for its emotional depth and stylistic innovation.

Roddy Doyle, chair of the judging panel, described Flesh as “a dark book that is a joy to read,” noting its unique use of white space and its invitation for readers to co-create the character’s inner world. The judges included Sarah Jessica Parker, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Chris Power, and Kiley Reid.

David, who was previously shortlisted in 2016 for All That Man Is, reflected on the risks he took in writing Flesh, saying, "There was a sense of risk being taken. And I think it's very important that we did take those risks. Fiction can take risks - aesthetic, formal or even moral risks. It's important the novel community embraces risk."

We are incredibly proud of David’s achievement. His success not only highlights the power of literature to transcend borders and identities but also serves as an inspiration to aspiring writers and creatives here at Stowe. Whilst at Stowe, David was awarded the Gavin Maxwell Prize, Roxburgh Verse Prize, among others, and was secretary of Colloquium  and the Literary Society. After Stowe, he went on to read English Literature at Oxford University.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to David on this incredible accomplishment.