# M. John Harrison

> A science-fiction writer from Rugby who edited the books pages of New Worlds in its heyday, wrote about rock climbing and conspiracy-haunted Britain, and at 81 became the oldest winner of the Booker Prize.

- Novelist and critic · Viriconium · Light · The End of Everything
- Known for: The Viriconium stories, the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy that began with *Light*, and *The End of Everything*, which won the 2026 Booker Prize.[1][3]
- Born: July 26, 1945
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-15
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/authors/m-john-harrison/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/authors/m-john-harrison/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: Booker Prize 2026

*The End of Everything* (2026). Years after an unexplained crisis, Phillip Tennent makes a living collecting what washes up on the Kent coast, until he pulls a shape-shifting object from the water and has to carry it inland.[6][5] It won the 2026 Booker Prize.[3]

## At a glance

- Born: Michael John Harrison, July 26, 1945, in Rugby, Warwickshire, England[1]
- First story sold: 1965[2]
- Editor: Literary editor of the science-fiction magazine *New Worlds*, 1968–1975[6][1]
- Also wrote as: Gabriel King, with Jane Johnson, for four fantasy novels about cats[1][2]
- Honours: Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (2025); honorary doctorate, University of Warwick (2016)[1][6]
- Major award: Arthur C. Clarke Award, 2007, for *Nova Swing*[2]
- Major award: Goldsmiths Prize, 2020, for *The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again*[7]
- Major award: Booker Prize, 2026, for *The End of Everything*[3]

## M. John Harrison's Backstory

### Early life

Michael John Harrison was born on July 26, 1945, in Rugby, Warwickshire, and left Dunsmore School in 1963.[1] He worked as a groom for the Atherstone Hunt, as a student teacher and as a clerk in London before turning to writing, and he sold his first story in 1965.[1][2]

### New Worlds

From 1968 he edited the books pages of *New Worlds*, the British science-fiction magazine, as literary editor until 1975.[1][6] His first novels appeared in 1971: *The Committed Men* and *The Pastel City*, the start of the Viriconium sequence of novels and stories that ran into the 1980s.[1] His literary agency, Janklow & Nesbit, says that 1970s and 1980s work, including Viriconium and the space opera *The Centauri Device*, is still well regarded.[9]

### Climbing and the 1990s

He lived in the Peak District from 1976 to 1986, and rock climbing became the subject of his novel *Climbers*, which won the 1989 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature.[1][2] He also ghostwrote *Fawcett on Rock* and, with Jane Johnson, wrote four novels about cats under the name Gabriel King.[1][2] He has reviewed fiction for the *Times Literary Supplement*, the *Guardian* and the *New York Times*.[2]

### The Kefahuchi Tract

*Light* (2002) began a return to science fiction that continued with *Nova Swing* (2006) and *Empty Space* (2012).[1][9] *Nova Swing* won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in Britain and the Philip K. Dick Award in the United States.[3][2]

### Prizes late in life

*The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again*, a novel about conspiracy theory set in contemporary Britain, won the Goldsmiths Prize in 2020.[7] In 2023 he published *Wish I Was Here*, subtitled *An Anti-Memoir*, and in 2025 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[9][1] *The End of Everything*, his 13th novel, won the 2026 Booker Prize; the chair of judges, Mary Beard, said the book "turns you upside down."[3][5] He said the book offers no hope or closure, but perhaps some kind of relief.[4]

## Fun facts

- Before he made a living as a writer he worked as a groom for the Atherstone Hunt, a student teacher and a clerk in London.[1]
- He ghostwrote the climbing book *Fawcett on Rock* (1987) as "Mike Harrison," and his own rock climbing led to the novel *Climbers*.[1][2]
- With Jane Johnson he wrote four fantasy novels about cats under the joint pen name Gabriel King.[1][2]
- He was a Booker Prize judge in 2022, four years before he won it.[2][5]
- After winning the Booker he said he had spent 40 to 50 years, as novelist and critic, trying to get science fiction recognized as literary fiction.[4]
- He wrote his first memoir, *Wish I Was Here*, in his mid-seventies.[8]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

Titles and first-publication years from the Wikipedia article on Harrison, checked against his publishers' pages; books written with Jane Johnson as Gabriel King and the ghostwritten *Fawcett on Rock* are left out.[1][6][7]

- 1971: *The Committed Men* (Novel). His first novel.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Committed%20Men%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- **Viriconium** (series, 4 books, 1971–1984)
  - 1971: Book 1, *The Pastel City* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Pastel%20City%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
  - 1980: Book 2, *A Storm of Wings* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=A%20Storm%20of%20Wings%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
  - 1982: Book 3, *In Viriconium* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=In%20Viriconium%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
  - 1984: Book 4, *Viriconium Nights* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Viriconium%20Nights%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1974: *The Centauri Device* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Centauri%20Device%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1975: *The Machine in Shaft Ten* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Machine%20in%20Shaft%20Ten%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1983: *The Ice Monkey* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Ice%20Monkey%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1989: *Climbers* (Novel). Won the 1989 Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature.[2][1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Climbers%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1992: *The Course of the Heart* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Course%20of%20the%20Heart%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 1996: *Signs of Life* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Signs%20of%20Life%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2000: *Travel Arrangements* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Travel%20Arrangements%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- **Kefahuchi Tract** (series, 3 books, 2002–2012). Also called the Empty Space trilogy.[9][1]
  - 2002: Book 1, *Light* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Light%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
  - 2006: Book 2, *Nova Swing* (Novel). Won the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Philip K. Dick Award.[3][2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Nova%20Swing%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
  - 2012: Book 3, *Empty Space* (Novel). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Empty%20Space%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2002: *Things That Never Happen* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Things%20That%20Never%20Happen%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2005: *Parietal Games* (Nonfiction). Reviews and essays, edited by Mark Bould and Michelle Reid.[1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Parietal%20Games%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2017: *You Should Come With Me Now* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=You%20Should%20Come%20With%20Me%20Now%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2020: *Settling the World: Selected Stories 1970–2020* (Story collection). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Settling%20the%20World%3A%20Selected%20Stories%201970%E2%80%932020%20M.%20John%20Harrison)
- 2020: *The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again* (Novel). Won the 2020 Goldsmiths Prize.[7] ISBN 9780575096363. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780575096363) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780575096363)
- 2023: *Wish I Was Here* (Memoir). Subtitled *An Anti-Memoir*.[9] ISBN 9781800812987. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781800812987) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781800812987)
- 2026: *The End of Everything* (Novel). Won the 2026 Booker Prize.[3] ISBN 9798217438655. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9798217438655) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9798217438655)

## Latest news

- Nov. 9, 2026: *The End of Everything* won the 2026 Booker Prize at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London; at 81 he is the oldest winner, ahead of Margaret Atwood, who was 79 when she shared the 2019 prize.[5][4] The Booker Prize Foundation's chief executive, Gaby Wood, said he is the first winner to come from the science-fiction world itself.[3]
- Oct. 13, 2026: Riverhead Books published *The End of Everything* in the United States.[6]
- June 2026: Serpent's Tail published *The End of Everything*, his 13th novel, in Britain.[1][5]

## Timeline

- July 26, 1945: Born in Rugby, Warwickshire.[1]
- 1965: Sells his first story.[2]
- 1968: Begins editing the books pages of *New Worlds*.[1][6]
- 1971: His first novel, *The Committed Men*, and the first Viriconium novel, *The Pastel City*, are published.[1]
- 1989: *Climbers* wins the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature.[2][1]
- 2002: *Light*, the first Kefahuchi Tract novel, is published.[1]
- 2007: *Nova Swing* wins the Arthur C. Clarke Award.[2]
- Nov. 11, 2020: *The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again* wins the Goldsmiths Prize.[7]
- 2022: Serves as a judge of the Booker Prize.[2][5]
- 2023: Publishes *Wish I Was Here*, which he calls an anti-memoir.[1][9]
- 2025: Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.[1][6]
- Nov. 9, 2026: Wins the Booker Prize for *The End of Everything*.[5][3]

## What's next

No new book has been announced; *The End of Everything* is published by Serpent's Tail in Britain and Riverhead in the United States.[5]

## Sources

1. [M. John Harrison](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._John_Harrison). Wikipedia. (reference)
2. [M. John Harrison](https://thebookerprizes.com/node/3901). The Booker Prizes. (primary record)
3. [Apocalyptic sci-fi novel 'The End of Everything' wins this year's Booker Prize](https://www.stlpr.org/npr/2026-11-09/apocalyptic-sci-fi-novel-the-end-of-everything-wins-this-years-booker-prize). NPR (via St. Louis Public Radio). (news)
4. [UK author M John Harrison's End of Everything wins Booker Prize](https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/10/uk-author-m-john-harrisons-end-of-everything-wins-booker-prize). Al Jazeera. (news)
5. [2026 Booker Prize winner: M. John Harrison](https://booksofbrilliance.com/2026/11/09/2026-booker-prize-winner-m-john-harrison/). Books of Brilliance. (website)
6. [The End of Everything](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/857563/the-end-of-everything-by-m-john-harrison/). Penguin Random House (Riverhead Books). (primary record)
7. [M. John Harrison wins Goldsmiths Prize 2020](https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/goldsmiths-prize-2020/). Goldsmiths, University of London. (primary record)
8. [Wish I Was Here](https://www.hachetteindia.com/Home/bookdetails/Info/9781800812987/wish-i-was-here). Hachette India (Serpent's Tail). (primary record)
9. [M. John Harrison](https://janklowandnesbit.co.uk/authors/m-john-harrison). Janklow & Nesbit UK (literary agency). (primary record)