We're a month away from finding out which title will take home the 2023 Booker Prize so what better time to take a deep dive into this year's final six? This week, in the first of two parts, we're exploring half of the books. Listen in to hear what Jo and James make of them, whether virtuousness is a desirable quality in these novels and what the shortlist says about the state of fiction today.

In this episode Jo and James discuss:

Their overview of the 2023 shortlist, and what it says about the state of fiction today
How these books would behave if they were guests in your house
The common themes that run through these novels
Jonathan Escoffery's If I Survive You
Paul Harding's This Other Eden
Sarah Bernstein's Study for Obedience

Reading list:

A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.

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Exploring the Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist (Part 1)