2000 – The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Canada)
A layered narrative interweaving a science fiction story with the tale of two sisters, one of whom becomes a celebrated writer.
Themes: Betrayal, memory, storytelling, and power dynamics.
2001 – True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (Australia)
A fictionalized autobiography of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, capturing his struggles against colonial forces.
Themes: Class struggle, rebellion, and myth-making.
2002 – Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Canada)
The story of Pi Patel, a boy stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, blending survival with theological musings.
Themes: Faith, survival, and the nature of truth.
2003 – Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (Australia)
A satirical tale of Vernon, a Texas teen wrongfully accused of a school shooting, critiquing American culture.
Themes: Media sensationalism, justice, and disillusionment.
2004 – The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (UK)
Set in 1980s Thatcher-era London, the novel follows a young gay man navigating privilege and desire within upper-class circles.
Themes: Power, identity, and societal hypocrisy.
2005 – The Sea by John Banville (Ireland)
It is a reflective novel about a widower revisiting a seaside town and confronting his past.
Themes: Memory, grief, and the passage of time.
2006 – The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (India)
A narrative spanning the Himalayan foothills and New York City, exploring colonial legacies and migration.
Themes: Displacement, identity, and globalization.
2007 – The Gathering by Anne Enright (Ireland)
It is the story of a large Irish family grappling with losing a sibling and long-hidden family secrets.
Themes: Memory, trauma, and familial bonds.
2008 – The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (India)
It is a darkly humorous critique of modern India, following a poor man’s rise to success through morally ambiguous means.
Themes: Social inequality, corruption, and ambition.
2009 – Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (UK)
A richly detailed historical account of Thomas Cromwell’s rise in the court of Henry VIII.
Themes: Power, politics, and morality.
2010 – The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson (UK)
A humorous yet serious exploration of identity, belonging, and anti-Semitism through the lives of three men.
Themes: Identity, loss, and cultural heritage.
2011 – The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (UK)
It is a contemplative tale of an older man reckoning with his past decisions and buried truths.
Themes: Memory, regret, and truth.
2012 – Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (UK)
A continuation of Thomas Cromwell’s story, focusing on the downfall of Anne Boleyn.
Themes: Power, betrayal, and justice.
2013 – The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (New Zealand)
A sprawling Victorian-style mystery set during New Zealand’s gold rush.
Themes: Greed, destiny, and interconnected lives.
2014 – The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (Australia)
The harrowing tale of a POW working on the Thai-Burma railway, blending war and love stories.
Themes: Survival, love, and human suffering.
2015 – A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Jamaica)
A sprawling narrative about the attempted assassination of Bob Marley, weaving together diverse voices.
Themes: Violence, history, and identity.
2016 – The Sellout by Paul Beatty (USA)
A satirical exploration of race and identity through a man’s controversial efforts to reinstate segregation.
Themes: Race, satire, and societal critique.
2017 – Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders (USA)
A ghostly meditation on grief centred on Abraham Lincoln mourning his son.
Themes: Grief, mortality, and the afterlife.
2018 – Milkman by Anna Burns (Northern Ireland)
A young woman navigates life during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, facing societal pressures and violence.
Themes: Oppression, identity, and resilience.
2019 – Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo (UK) and The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (Canada)
Girl, Woman, Other chronicles the lives of 12 characters, primarily Black women in Britain, while The Testaments revisits the dystopia of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Themes: Intersectionality, resistance, and systemic inequality.
2020 – Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart (Scotland)
A tender yet heart-wrenching tale of a boy growing up in poverty with his alcoholic mother in Glasgow.
Themes: Love, addiction, and resilience.
2021 – The Promise by Damon Galgut (South Africa)
A dissection of family and societal dynamics in post-apartheid South Africa, spanning four funerals.
Themes: Inequality, loss, and generational conflict.
2022 – The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Sri Lanka)
A ghostly satire exploring war, politics, and morality in 1980s Sri Lanka.
Themes: Corruption, memory, and spirituality.
2023 – Prophet Song by Paul Lynch (Ireland)
A dystopian exploration of family resilience amid the rise of authoritarianism in Ireland.
Themes: Power, survival, and familial bonds.
2024 – Orbital by Samantha Harvey (UK)
It is a poetic narrative set on the International Space Station, reflecting on humanity’s place in the cosmos.
Themes: Isolation, interconnectivity, and existentialism.