Samantha Harvey wins 2024 Booker Prize for space-themed novel Orbital

Samantha Harvey has won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel *Orbital*, which follows six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The award, valued at £50,000 ($98,000), recognizes her unique perspective on life in space. This year's shortlist featured six novels, five by women. Harvey's win marks the first time a woman has won since 2019 and the first British winner since 2020. The judges praised *Orbital* for its beauty and ambition. Harvey's novel explores themes of connection and humanity while depicting the astronauts' daily lives and observations of Earth. She aimed to create a "space pastoral" that reflects on beauty and the human experience without relying on dramatic conflict.