SSC IMD SA 2017 – Question 96

Who is the winner of the Man Booker Prize 2017?

• George Saunders
• Paul Beatty
• Marlon James
• Richard Flanagan

Detailed Explanation:

The correct answer is a) जॉर्ज सॉन्डर्स (George Saunders).

American author George Saunders won the prestigious Man Booker Prize 2017 for his debut full-length novel, ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’.

• About the Book: The novel is set in February 1862 over the course of a single night in a Georgetown cemetery. It revolves around the grief of US President Abraham Lincoln following the death of his 11-year-old son Willie, exploring themes of grief, death, and transitional afterlife (the Tibetan concept of ‘bardo’).
• Historical Context: George Saunders became only the second American writer to win the Booker Prize, following Paul Beatty who won in 2016 for ‘The Sellout’ (the prize was opened to US authors writing in English in 2014).
• Other options context:
  • Paul Beatty: Winner of 2016 Man Booker Prize (The Sellout).
  • Marlon James: Winner of 2015 Man Booker Prize (A Brief History of Seven Killings).
  • Richard Flanagan: Winner of 2014 Man Booker Prize (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).