Samantha Harvey wins 2024 Booker Prize for space novel Orbital

Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel "Orbital," which follows six astronauts reflecting on Earth from the International Space Station. This marks the first win for a woman since 2019. "Orbital" is 136 pages long, making it the second-shortest novel to win the award. It is also the first Booker winner set in space. Harvey's work explores themes of mourning, desire, and the climate crisis. The shortlist featured a record five women, including Rachel Kushner and Anne Michaels. The Booker Prize recognizes outstanding fiction published in the UK or Ireland.