An 81-Year-Old Writer Wins the Booker
The winning novel was the shortest on the shortlist.
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M. the on 9 with The of . At 81, he its .
The a on . At 198 , it was the of the .
Source: The Booker Prizes, 2026-11-09.
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Try 2 questions about this story, then explain one idea in your own words. Check the text whenever you need to.
In this lesson: Connect the winning book’s length with the shortlist comparison.
Grammar in this story: A comparison within a group
the shortest of the six shortlisted books
The superlative shortest compares page length within the named six-book group. It makes no claim about all novels.
Your turn
Explain what the two numbers 81 and 198 describe.
See one possible answer
81 is Harrison’s age when he won. 198 is the number of pages in his novel, which was the shortest of the six shortlisted books.
Your answer can be different. Give a reason and use your own words.
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