The novel, set aboard the International Space Station (ISS), offers a profound exploration of Earth’s beauty and vulnerability from the vantage point of space. Samantha Harvey wins Booker Prize 2024 Harvey was born in 1975 in Kent, England, and studied philosophy at the University of York and the University of Sheffield before earning an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she now teaches. Her earlier works, including , , , and , have established her as a critically acclaimed author with a talent for exploring themes of memory, morality, and human connection.
Most Read on Euro Weekly News Orbital: the first space fiction to win the Booker Prize unfolds over a 24-hour period, following six astronauts as they orbit Earth, experiencing sixteen sunrises and sunsets. Through their reflections, Harvey delves into themes of environmental fragility and human impact on the planet. The judges lauded the novel as “extraordinary” and “beautiful,” highlighting its environmental themes and its focus on Earth’s beauty.
Harvey began writing during the COVID-19 lockdowns, drawing inspiration from live streams of Earth from the ISS. This unique perspective allowed her to craft a narrative that contrasts the vastness of space with the intimate, mundane routines of the astronauts. Despite initial reservations about writing on a subject she hadn’t experienced firsthand, Harvey’s extensive research into NASA and ESA archives enabled her to authentically portray l.