it's the book world's biggest night of the year, here in the splendid surroundings of guildhall in the heart of the city of london. hello, and good evening. in the next half an hour, we will find out who has won one of the world's most famous and most important literary prizes, the booker, awarded to the best novel of the year. it's been quite a journey to get to this point.

the judges considered 151 books, which were whittled down to 13 on the longlist, six on the shortlist, and tonight there will be just one book left, one winner. the six shortlisted authors are all here tonight — they include two former winners of the prize — sir salman rushdie and margaret atwood. and all of them are now waiting to find out if they have won, and if they'll be taking home the £50,000 cheque that goes with winning. to help guide us through the proceedings, i'm delighted to say we're joined by the author and journalist daisy buchanan and nic bottomley, owner of mr b's book shop in bath, and president of the bookseller‘s association which represents book shops in the uk and ireland. thank you both for being here. not long now, plenty to discuss. but before we chat, let's have a look at this year's shortlist.

you lionesses six of the best books of the year are competing for the booker prize. margaret atwood's testa m e nts booker prize. margaret atwood's testaments is the sequel to the had made tale, set for ten years later in the three women of the totalitarian —— totalitarian state. an 0rchestra totalitarian —— totalitarian state. an orchestra of minorities is chigozie 0bioma's second book, a young nigerian farmer falls a lot but becomes the victim of a scam. the story is told by a guardian spirit from edo culture. bernardine evaristo‘s girl, woman, 0ther tells interconnected stories in free verse. in ten minutes 38 seconds at this strange word, elif shafak chronicles the life—and—death of a woman who because a sex worker in

istanbul. dead in a dustbin while her brain remains active, we learn her brain remains active, we learn her story. lucy ellmann has written ducks, newburyport, an epic that ta kes ducks, newburyport, an epic that takes us inside the koteka mind of a housewife from ohio trying to deal with modern life. salman rushdie‘s ducks, newburyport —— with modern life. salman rushdie‘s ducks, newburyport -- quichotte sa retelling of don quixote, a salesman pursues another attainable women across america. —— and unobtainable. thejudges called them extraordinary with cracking plots i'd relate characters. let's delve a little deeper into them. starting with margaret atwood, the testaments, which has been grabbing all the headlines, sold a quarter of a million copies and it has only been published months. daisy, this is the long—awaited sequel to the had

made‘s tale, waited almost 30 years, wasn't worth it? honestly, no, made's tale, waited almost 30 years, wasn't worth it? honestly, no, i wa nted wasn't worth it? honestly, no, i wanted to love it. this, as i read it, it was satisfying and resonant but then the ending, i don't want to spoil anything it was like fast food. it delivered what i wanted then but it does not hit me at dot stay with me in the same way that the original book well. it was pleasing, in some ways it felt like a young adult book. 0bviously young aduu a young adult book. 0bviously young adult books are fantastic, but it sort of felt like it was perhaps written for a different audience, the weight of expectation on it was so the weight of expectation on it was so high. it seems like it couldn't exist without the original book, it has an advantage that the other book doesn't have, sitting any slightly awed way. i thought it was an absolute page turner. i did wonder if it were to win tonight, would it

be the sequel to a better book? yes, maybe. i do think she has done interesting things with the gilead world that she created, as she has hinted herself there is hope and they are that this whole world that isa they are that this whole world that is a terrible dystopia, elements of hope, elements of possibility, rebellion with from within. that is interesting. it is a sequel, does that mean that cannot when? they are up that mean that cannot when? they are up against different books, so... she didn't win for the had made's tale, she has been shortlisted six times. she won in 2000. from the old is right on the shortlist about margaret atwood is nearly 80, to the youngest, chigozie 0bioma, nigerian author, 32, this is a second novel. an 0rchestra author, 32, this is a second novel. an orchestra of minorities. his first was shortlisted as well. this is told from the point of view of a

spiritual guardian of the main character. what did jamaica that narrative framework? it is an incredible achievement as a book, i found that the tradition from nigerian culture, the idea of this guardian spirit, a lot of the time it detaches you quite significantly from the main character. the main character is a slightly inept at times but wonderfully affable, kind man. you want to cheer for him but occasionally apparently narration got under way of that, especially when we had some portions of the book where you go into the world of these spirits are they are talking to one another, so it has an incredible achievement, the writing is beautiful, but i found that got in the way. daisy, was a hit or a miss for you? it is a heartbreaking tale of a man who will risk anything to the woman he loves.|j tale of a man who will risk anything to the woman he loves. i agree with nick. i love the beauty and

lyricism, gorgeously told. i struggled with this man's love for women, and women are not permitted to have an interior life. they are cursing him throughout, but you know so cursing him throughout, but you know so little about them and it almost feels as though it is a story where it is structured in a way where not many questions have to be asked of women that i found that very frustrating, that there is so much dot like if we had known what they we re dot like if we had known what they were feeling. you won't have that trouble with the next book. berna rdine trouble with the next book. bernardine evaristo, girl, woman, 0ther, anglo nigerian writer, interesting person. as well as writing prose and plays, she has founded several initiatives for inclusion and she founded the first black women's theatre group. this is a story teeming with life, all these different female characters, clea ners different female characters, cleaners and bankers and teachers ranging in age from adolescence to

old age. i love that, you can probably tell. this was my favourite book on the shortlist. i enjoyed the energy and a language which is beautiful and you never feel distanced from it. the stories are compelling, i love the overlap and that it compelling, i love the overlap and thatitis compelling, i love the overlap and that it is so timely at a time when so that it is so timely at a time when so many of the subjects discussed at the book, for example there is a trans character, when that narrative becomes angry and polarising, but she does it with such intelligence and new art as you makes you care about everyone, but it is not sentimental. it is so hopeful. what did you make of the way it is written? when you look at it on the page it almost reads like poetry, it is set out in almost... it is set out like first, but when you are immersed in the reading of it you don't notice that anywhere near as much as you would if your soap and took a look at it. the narrative flows a nd took a look at it. the narrative flows and the other thing about this which could have gone the other way,

12 different characters and you are hopping from one to another, which can break things up, it can become short story like, but it is so intriguing that when you move from a mother to a daughter and back to the mother's old friend. you leave geographic locations, so many different stories, woven together. we all loved that, a hit from ours. let's move on to elif shafak, currently under attack in turkey for her writing, 10 minutes 38 seconds in this strange world is her 11th novel. we should probably explain the title. this is the amount of time that a brain might remain active when a body has died. in that time the main character excel key memories from her life. i thought this was a very audacious way of telling a story. it is audacious, for me it worked really well, it

sounds odd until you are in there. the narrative flows really well. each minute that that goes by against with a different sensory explosion, she has taken back the main character, to a taste or a smell from my childhood, from as she grew up, then a time as she moved to istanbul. you referred to the way elif shafak as portrayed by the turkish authorities, this is an important book, it looks at migration, finding new homes, friendship, betrayal, it looks at the option to a degree. there is a moment where they say, rules are rules, even children know also sometimes rules. it is throughout the novel, looking at what underpins society, and especially the patriarchal elements. elif shafak's early books were written in turkish, she is written in english. how much ofan she is written in english. how much of an achievement as theirs? she was

a guest on my pod cast, talking about that distance and that it means you have clarity of language, you can wield it as a tool. i found it very hard to separate elif shafak from this because she is a committed to giving marginalised people a voice. she has such a courageous writer. the political response to what she is doing only makes it clear that this is a urgent taboo, to talk about a sex worker and make that your heroine, that feels radical in the uk, throughout the rest of the world that is a huge and build thing to do and i'm so glad she did it. terrific. moving onto the biggest and heaviest book, lucy ellmann‘s ducks, newburyport. she was born in america and moved to the uk as was born in america and moved to the ukasa was born in america and moved to the uk as a teenager. it is a big book, 1000 pages, if it were to win, it would be the longest book to ever

win. i suppose when you get to the end of it, has it been worth it? not for me. it has been rightly praised for me. it has been rightly praised for being innovative and creative. but we have also just talked about three books that have different innovative structures, narration, and for me they all work a lot better than theirs. the innovation here is that essentially it is a single sentence, although it is justly. as replaced by the phrase the fact that it repeatedly. beyond that, the same process is going through the reader's mind again and again. if it was a short story or a novella that paid their strict orders had showed how cluttered our minds are, i would probably embrace it. but at 1000 pages there are so many barriers in there, despite the innovation, which those that the books don't have. i would put lower down the list. evelyn waugh came up

with the phrase, stunt novel, this is 1000 pages, no periods, a sickle sentence. didn't work? it took me about 200 pages to love it but i feel hard. it is the urgent state of the nation book. that woman stayed in my head and will stay forever. i miss her desperately when i stopped reading. ifelt miss her desperately when i stopped reading. i felt held miss her desperately when i stopped reading. ifelt held hostage by the book but i was so surprised by how fool, 1000 pages, but lots of people will be put off by that. use your reading muscles. last book, salman rushdie's novel, quichotte, he is no stranger to the prize, i suppose the question is, is quichotte as good a novel? i would have to say no, but it is great fun. really entertaining, a lot giddy and faster than i expected. i love the

character, it woman who is really compelling all not always likeable. she becomes a tv interviewer. salman rushdie's knowledge of things i was very impressed by. ifound rushdie's knowledge of things i was very impressed by. i found that the other elements did not i was married together and it is a little bit smug at times, very thoughtful but he knows how thoughtful it is and steps out ina knows how thoughtful it is and steps out in a way that makes it quite disjointed. a's formal proceedings are beginning. letsjoin thejudges. inaudible not only to be honest dry not want one winner of this prize...|j not only to be honest dry not want one winner of this prize... i want the long list back as well. if you

will forgive me, iwould the long list back as well. if you will forgive me, i would like to pay tribute to that long list and the seven writers who are not at the i’ooiti seven writers who are not at the room tonight. kevin barry, reinking brathwaite, john lanchester, debra leavy, but there realistically, mark porter and jeanette winterson. their books are wonderful. applause . add the breadth and depth of this long list is a tribute to the spectacular brilliance of publishers out of editors and agentss, and also all the people who work with the booker prize, librarians, book—sellers, booker prize, librarians, book—selle rs, even the journalists. laughter. not so much the journalists. i would like to, if you will forgive me a personal moment of thanks, offer my

deep gratitude to the booker trustees for allowing me the extraordinary privilege of spending the last ten months, once a month, with four of the best people i know. these are, when a writer thinks dear reader, the attentive responsive, creative, brilliant readers of 1's dreams. they are ethel hirsch and joanna macgregor. it has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life to spend time reading with them and i am deeply grateful to them as well. '5. —— applause. there are five of us in the room but there are always six. my deep thanks also go to the literary director of the booker prize who has guided us with wisdom and care occasionally

today with something like a cattle prod stop to our decision. gaby wood, thank you very much indeed. 's. __ wood, thank you very much indeed. 's. -- applause. we love this shortlist and the six books. we love the project that margaret atwood has developed from the had made to's tale, into this book the testaments. we love this examination of complicity and resilience and resistance, we love the language, storytelling power, the language, storytelling power, the patient. we love the sheer chutzpah of lucy ellmann's mammoth mammoth full tome ducks, newburyport. it is one of the great comic deliveries i have ever encountered, and a worthy echo of jamesjoyce encountered, and a worthy echo of james joyce and ulysses. encountered, and a worthy echo of jamesjoyce and ulysses. these books talk to each other, they talk to

books of the past, and i have formed an extraordinary connection that i hope everyone who gets to read all of them will understand and enjoy as much as we have. we love bernardine evaristo's girl, woman, 0ther, giving voice to people who are not always articulated, making the invisible visible. we love chigozie 0bioma's an orchestra of minorities. and that exploration of masculine 80 that also gives us another extraordinary narrator add a vision of what the journey might be like foran of what the journey might be like for an everyman of what the journey might be like for an eve ryman who of what the journey might be like for an everyman who doesn't happen to be the king of if the car. we love the bravura performance of salman rushdie's quichotte, a maximalist compendium of so much knowledge, so much story, so much energy and beautiful language that feels as if it is recreated, not only a relationship with cervantes's

great novel 500 years on but a really searing examination of contemporary america and of india and of literature. and we love the humanity of elif shafak's 10 minutes 38 seconds in this strange world. the idea that we know the character and her friends, we understand that life is a series of incidents and histories but the impact that life has on everybody else, the french who we choose to make our family. that's like the friends. we have operated as a jury on the basis of consensus. operated as a jury on the basis of consensus. today we tried voting. didn't work. we found that they were to make novels, not that we couldn't let go off but that we deftly wanted

to win this year's prize. —— definitely wanted. we are awarding the prize jointly to both of them. there are two winners of this year's booker prize who will share this honour and this money. i'd i would like to invite the authors are pad to speak in alphabetical, if that is not too traditional, order. the two winners of the 2019 booker prize for fiction are market outward for the testaments and bernardine evaristo for girl, woman, other. cheering —— market outward for the testa m e nts. —— market outward for the testaments. genuine shock in the room, because no one expected the

judges to split the prize, as much as anything because the rules explicitly forbid it. but in an extraordinary turn of events, the judges said that these were two novels that they just could not compromise on, therefore the only course of action was to flout the rules and divide the prize. margaret atwood, ad age of 79, becomes the old est atwood, ad age of 79, becomes the oldest winner of the prize, and only the fourth author to win the prize twice. and there is the two vectors, if you like, congratulating each other stop bernardine evaristo wins for girl, woman, 0ther, she becomes the first black woman to win the prize. let's hear what they have got to say.

thejudges the judges described the testaments asa the judges described the testaments as a savage and beautiful novel, and girl, woman, 0ther as a savage and beautiful novel, and girl, woman, other they said was something magical about the book. i don't think either of them can believe it. neither are buyers expected to when there is, and i very happy that... neither of us. cheering and applause. we have both got curly hair, it is because of that. i am very surprised, i wouldn't have thought that i would have been dashed like i thought i would have been too elderly. i kind of don't need the attention. i am very glad that you

are getting some. thank you. that makes me happy, it would have been quite embarrassing for me, a good canadian, we don't do famous, we think it is in bad taste. it would have been embarrassing if i had been alone here. i add very pleased that you are here. cheering and applause this is incredible, so incredible to share this with margaret edward, who is such a legend. as so generous, thank you so much. a lot of people

say there is, i never thought it would happen to me, and i will say i am the first black woman to win this prize. cheering and applause i'di cheering and applause i'd i hope that order doesn't last too long, i hope that other people come forward now. i would like to thank first and foam editor who has been publishing me for 20 years, always believed in me, i'd i have never made him much money but he has continued to publish me and i so deeply grateful for that, he isjust a bet editor. i would like to thank the team at penguin random house and hamish hamilton, hermione, sapphire, amelia and anna. joanna and ten ok

and all those people who are working tirelessly behind—the—scenes to give as the careers that we have as writers. i would like to thank my agent and former agent, emma pattison of aitken alexander, and calibre leader sutton of curtis brown. all the people who have supported me with my career over four decades. i would like to thank my friends and family, my mother for giving birth to me, and my wonderful husband david who is here with me and is always with me every step of the way stop i hope i haven't missed anyone. thank you to the judges, of course, phenomenal. one man, for women, it made a difference. two women, it made a difference. two women of colour, that made history. thank you so much to the booker prize for this, and absolute delighted to share it with the legend that is margaret atwood.

cheering and applause those are the winners of the 2019 booker prize, bernardine evaristo for her novel girl, woman, other, and market outward for her novel the testaments. we didn't see that coming. what are your reactions? incredible, joint winners for the nobel prize are nowjoint winners for the booker prize. fantastic, berna rdine for the booker prize. fantastic, bernardine evaristo has been recognised, in truly brilliant novel. fbi got to the subject beforehand, novel. fbi got to the subject before hand, who novel. fbi got to the subject beforehand, who i might think when it, i might have said margaret atwood. —— it, i might have said margaret atwood. — — if it, i might have said margaret atwood. —— if we had got. if anyone deserves another gong to add to our already large collection, it is her and this is a really pc, enjoyable

novel. i think it's great. and this is a really pc, enjoyable novel. ithink it's great. it is and this is a really pc, enjoyable novel. i think it's great. it is not the first time the price has been shared, it was shared in the 19705 and in the 19905, and that is where the rules were changed to stop it being shared again. what do you make of the decision? i feel very foolish for what i said earlier, but it is almo5t... a5 for what i said earlier, but it is almo5t... as a writer, for her contribution, market outward, that mu5t contribution, market outward, that must be recognised. she is a literary giant. —— margaret atwood. i feel a lover that book when it appeared in my life as a book group, i regret led to get. it is a real... i feel euphoric. it feels like the right decision for 2019. the because of the shortlist have reflected it i5a of the shortlist have reflected it is a difficult time. we need hope. i don't think anyone needs any help finding the testaments, but i am so excited about the legions of readers

who are going to discover girl, woman, 0ther who are going to discover girl, woman, other and be so energised and excited by it that it is just joyou5. it is a fabless energy and i a n5wer joyou5. it is a fabless energy and i an5wer happy it is to women and then it is these women. these are books written by women, dominated by female characters as well. dai5y, nick, it has been great to have your thoughts and insights this evening. thi5 thoughts and insights this evening. this will be an evening we won't forget. i am so grateful, many thanks to you both. that is it from us thanks to you both. that is it from us tonight. we end with the news that margaret atwood has won the booker prize 2019 for the testa m e nt5, booker prize 2019 for the testaments, and bernardine evaristo also has one for girl, woman, 0ther. an hi5toric night here at the booker. from all of us here on the team, thanks for watching. goodbye.

tonight at ten. the government sets out its agenda for the year ahead, but the opposition say it's nothing more than a pre election stunt. in the queen's speech at the state opening of parliament bills are proposed on crime, health and the environment but the priority was securing brexit by the end of the month. my my government's priority has always been to secure the united kingdom's departure from the european union on the 31st of october. it was bori5 johnson's first queen's speech as prime minister but without a majority in the house of commons labour says it's unlikely the bills will become law. let's get on with the proposals and the measures announced in this

queen's speech, let's get