In 1984, many assumed that J.G. Ballard's Empire of the Sun had the Booker Prize in the bag. But actually, it was Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac that clinched the prize in the end. This week, we're exploring the bookies' favourite vs the Booker winner to ask which book should have won: Brookner's short, quiet novel set in a genteel Swiss hotel or Ballard's long and action-packed autobiographical epic set in wartime Shanghai.

In this episode Jo and James:

Discuss the Booker Prize 1984 shortlist
Share a brief biography of Anita Brookner
Summarise the plot of Anita Brookner's Hotel du Lac
Explore the characters in Brookner's novel
Share a brief biography of J.G. Ballard
Summarise the plot of Empire of the Sun
Who should read these books
Discuss their thoughts on both novels and which they think should have won the Booker Prize 1984

Reading list:

Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/empire-of-the-sun
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/hotel-du-lac
Small World by David Lodge: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/small-world
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/flauberts-parrot
In Custody by Anita Desai: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/in-custody
According to Mark by Penelope Lively: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/books/according-to-mark

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website: https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/the-booker-prize-podcast-episode-37-empire-of-the-sun-or-hotel-du-lac

Follow The Booker Prize Podcast so you never miss an episode. Visit http://thebookerprizes.com/podcast to find out more about us, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok @thebookerprizes.

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