LONDON — British writer Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday with "Orbital," a short, wonder-filled novel set aboard the International Space Station that ponders the beauty and fragility of the Earth. Harvey was awarded the 50,000-pound ($64,000) prize for what she has called a "space pastoral" about six orbiting astronauts, which she began writing during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. The confined characters loop through 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets over the course of a day, trapped in one another's company and transfixed by the globe's ever-changing vistas. "To look at the Earth from space is like a child looking into a mirror and realizing for the first time that the person in the mirror is herself," said Harvey, who researched her novel by reading books by astronauts and watching the space station's live camera. "What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves." She said the novel "is not exactly about climate change, but implied in the view of the Earth is the fact of human-made climate change." She dedicated the prize to everyone who speaks "for and not against the Earth, for and not against the dignity of other humans, other life." "All the people who speak for and call for and work for peace — this is for you," she said. Writer and artist Edmund de Waal, who chaired the five-member judging panel, called "Orbital" a "miraculous novel" that "makes our world strange and new for us." Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, noted that "in a year of geopolitical crisis, likely to be the warmest year in recorded history," the winning book was "hopeful, timely and timeless." Harvey, who has written four previous novels and a memoir about insomnia, is the first British writer since 2020 to win the Booker. The prize is open to English-language writers of any nationality and has a reputation for transforming writers' careers. Previous winners include Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie and Hilary Mantel. De Waal praised the "crystalline" writing and "capaciousness" of Harvey's succinct novel — at 136 pages in its U.K. paperback edition, one of the shortest-ever Booker winners. "This is a book that repays slow reading," he said. He said the judges spent a full day picking their winner and came to a unanimous conclusion. Harvey beat five other finalists from Canada, the United States, Australia and the Netherlands, chosen from among 156 novels submitted by publishers. American writer Percival Everett had been the bookies' favorite to win with "James," which reimagines Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" from the point of view of its main Black character, the enslaved man Jim. The other finalists were American writer Rachel Kushner's spy story "Creation Lake"; Canadian Anne Michaels' poetic novel "Held"; Charlotte Wood's Australian saga "Stone Yard Devotional"; and "The Safekeep" by Yael van der Wouden, the first Dutch author to be shortlisted for the Booker. Harvey is the first female Booker winner since 2019, though one of five women on this year's shortlist, the largest number in the prize's 55-year history. De Waal said issues such as the gender or nationality of the authors were "background noise" that did not influence the judges. "There was absolutely no question of box ticking or of agendas or of anything else. It was simply about the novel," he said before the awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate, a grand former Victorian fish market in central London. Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize is open to novels originally written in English published in the U.K. or Ireland. Last year's winner was Irish writer Paul Lynch for post-democratic dystopia "Prophet Song." Lynch handed Harvey her Booker trophy at the ceremony, warning her that her life was about to change dramatically because of the Booker publicity boost. Harvey said she was "overwhelmed" but remained down-to-earth about spending her prize money. She said she'd disburse "some of it on tax. I want to buy a new bike. And then the rest — I want to go to Japan."

LILLE, FRANCE — More than 360 migrants were rescued Sunday while attempting the perilous crossing between the north coast of France and the south coast of England, in small boats, French officials said.    Regional maritime boats and a French Navy patrol ship made multiple trips to rescue groups of people in difficulty in the Channel, the French coastal authority Premar said.   In all, they rescued 367 people, taking them to the French ports of Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.  Increasing numbers of migrants seeking to reach England are trying to cross the Channel in makeshift boats now that officials have increased security at Calais and the cross-Channel tunnel.  The waterway is one of the busiest sea routes in the world, with more than 400 vessels crossing it every day and the weather conditions are often difficult.  Since the beginning of the year, a record 33,500 people have crossed the Channel in small boats.  According to figures from Britain's interior ministry, 94% of the migrants who reached the U.K. in the past four years went on to apply for asylum. Of those who had received a response, most had been successful.  As the law currently stands, a migrant must be physically in the U.K. to start the asylum process. 

Britney Spears responds to ex husband Kevin Federline's claims with subtle moveBritney Spears has responded to claims made by her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, regarding her recent reunion with their son, Jayden.The Toxic hitmaker took to her Instagram to share another cryptic post with her...

By-elections were seen as an indicator of the two main parties' prospects at a time when voters are struggling with high inflation, strikes and rising mortgage rates.

Britain should be too cold for the invasive Aesculapian snake to survive, but it is thriving by exploiting the warmth of attics, wall cavities and compost heaps

The technologies introduced by the Romans after they conquered Britain led to the kind of economic growth seen in the industrial age

Title: Mandatory COVID-19 Tests Lifted for Vaccinated Travelers to Britain
Category: Health News
Created: 2/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/14/2022 12:00:00 AM

New research has revealed a growing mental phenomena sweeping the UK, which may only affect those with a certain income

The energy bill support has been described as a "crucial lifeline" for certain individuals who are often "overlooked".

October marked the "biggest" sales month for supermarkets in the UK so far despite food price hikes.

… a big upset in his Davis Cup debut on Friday, defeating Spaniard ….

Dispute risks damage to Canada's reputation as reliable trade partner, says Steven Mackinnon

Myah Saakwa-Mante, a 20-year-old British university student, was caught at Los Angeles International Airport and arrested after allegedly attempting to smuggle T-shirts soaked with methamphetamine.

The experts behind Beyoncé, Kerry Washington and Serena Williams' tresses reveal their all-time favorite products for natural hair.

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The huge four-storey walls of the Lightroom in London are showing ‘Vogue: Inventing the Runway'.

I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! campmate Coleen Rooney has cleared up rumours that she will not be able to take part in certain trials while appearing on the ITV show this year.

I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!’s 2024 campmates were finally confirmed on Monday, 11 November.

Meet the full cast, including Coleen Rooney and N-Dubz’s Tulisa Contostavlos

L’ex-premier ministre de la Colombie-Britannique John Horgan est décédé à l’âge de 65 ans après une bataille contre le cancer.

South Korean actor Song Jae-rim died yesterday (Nov 12) at the age of 39. The Seongdong Police Station in Seoul confirmed that he was found deceased in his apartment at around 12.30pm. According to media reports, a friend whom he was supposed to meet for lunch had visited his home and reported the death. A two-page letter was reportedly found at the scene but the cause of death has not been confirmed. A police official, however, stated that there are "no signs of foul play". His wake was held at Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital Funeral Hall at 5.30pm yesterday. His funeral will be held tomorrow at Seoul City Crematorium. Jae-rim gained popularity after starring in the 2012 drama The Moon Embracing the Sun and the 2014 reality series We Got Married. This year, he starred in two dramas — My Military Valentine and Queen Woo. Following news of his death, comedian Hong Seok-cheon and other celebrities posted tributes to Jae-rim on social media.

Alongside new �British Businessman� digital spot, belVita debuts its latest tool to help you fake it �til you make it.

Mary Murphy partners with Osteo Bi-Flex�

Tim McGraw wants to hear from you!

Explore RIBA's online collection with Google Arts & Culture, featuring new virtual tours and stories.

Celebrities including Elon Musk and Martin Lewis repeatedly feature in ads for products they have not endorsed.

Britain could revise its medals target for London 2012 following the team's success at the Beijing Olympics.

Public enthusiasm for attending the 2012 London Olympic Games has risen almost 30% following the Beijing Games, a survey for the BBC suggests.

We've had a huge response to our class calculator this week, particularly across social media, following a major survey by BBC Lab UK. The survey suggests that traditional categories of working, middle and upper class are outdated and we all fit in to one of seven new classes.

The class calculator - which lets you work out where you might fit in amongst the new categories - has attracted about six million page views on the BBC News site, making it the second most popular article of 2013 to date. (The most viewed article this year has been the helicopter crash in Vauxhall in January.) Nearly 1.9 million of those views have come from those of you accessing the site on mobiles and tablets.

But one thing that really stands out is how widely the story has been shared across social media, with more than 300,000 shares so far. More than a quarter of links to the calculator have come from social networking sites.

More than half a million referrals came from Facebook alone, and about 107,000 from Twitter. This is a much higher number than we usually see shared across social media. If you compare the class calculator with the other top stories of the week, usually about 5% of known referrals come from social media sites.

So why has it proven so popular with our audience? Michael Orwell, a producer at BBC Lab UK, worked closely on the survey and said one of the best things about the project was that the audience contributed to new research with top academics.

The calculator itself, produced by the BBC News Visual Journalism team in collaboration with BBC Knowledge and Learning, lets everyone engage with the new model and discover where they might fit in.

Steve Herrmann is editor of the BBC News website.

The first book set in space to win, Orbital follows astronauts in the International Space Station.

The racing outside the top class threatens to be as fierce as ever as British riders target the Moto2 and Moto3 titles this year

Paula Radcliffe insists Britain should get behind their Olympic athletes, even if they were born elsewhere.

UK's Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus for the second time and is now self-isolating, said Clearance House. It is the second time

Anti-Fibrotic Data from Amira Pharmaceuticals' LPA1 Receptor Antagonist Program Published in the British Journal of Phar

British scientists claim to have developed a drug with the potential to 'vaccinate' those with a family history of bre

According to recent Accor research, 2025 promises to be an exciting year for travel, with new trends shaping the ways in which Brits will explore the world. Following the rise of the “cool-cation,” destination dupes, and active tourism, a new Accor survey shows that 74% of Brits are planning to travel abroad in the coming year. But what adventures await them, and where are they headed? Using a blend of UK search data, survey insights, and keyword trends, we’ve compiled the top travel experiences and destinations expected to capture travelers’ imaginations in 2025. Get ready to discover the trends defining the future of British travel!

     The last three decades revealed a new phenomenon in the field of English literature. More and more Indian, Chinese and African origin...

Every individual born in the country has the right to choose his religion. A person might have followed a religion by birth, but nothing can stop the person from embracing a new religion.

Operatorul bursei elvețiene, SIX Group AG, a convenit achiziția Aquis Exchange Plc, o bursă de tranzacționare și furnizor de date din Marea Britanie, într-o tranzacție cu o valoare de aproximativ 194 milioane de lire sterline (250 milioane de dolari), potrivit Bloomberg. Conform unui comunicat de presă emis luni, consiliul Aquis a recomandat în unanimitate această ...

The post Bursa elvețiană cumpără Aquis din Marea Britanie în cea mai mare achiziție din 2020 appeared first on Forbes Romania.

Britney Spears's father was removed as conservator of her $60 million estate on Wednesday. Fans outside the courthouse cheered as the suspension brings the pop star closer to unwinding the legal arrangement that has controlled her life for 13 years. Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters

Many well-known figures have taken to their platforms to condemn fireworks, emphasizing the harmful effects on air quality and the anxiety caused to pets and wildlife.

Manchester : Manchester University Press, [2020]

Manchester : Manchester University Press, [2018]

Manchester : Manchester University Press, [2019]