Bulgarian writer and poet Georgi Gospodinov became the winner of the International Booker Prize. He received the award for his novel The Shelter. This is the first book in Bulgarian to win the Booker Prize. The book was translated into English by Angela Rodel. Gospodinov will share the £50,000 reward with her.
Gospodinov describes his novel as dedicated to memory, time, and the "militarization of nostalgia". Its plot is based on the "clinic of the past", which offers innovative treatment for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The jury for this year's Booker Prize was headed by French-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani. She described Gospodinov's novel as "full of irony and melancholy": "It's a profound work dealing with a very modern question: what happens to us when our memories disappear?"