David Szalay, the Booker Prize winner for 'Flesh,' shares his unique journey, from being 'eerily calm' at the award ceremony (thanks to self-hypnosis) to crafting a morally ambiguous novel about masculinity and the human body. Discover the 'Hungarian-British' author's background, his unconventional writing process, and the themes that make 'Flesh' a contemporary 'Greek tragedy.'
David Szalay, the recent Booker Prize winner, is revealed as a genial author behind the morally ambiguous character of his sixth novel, 'Flesh.' Szalay, 51, describes himself as 'arguably more Canadian than Hungarian,' having been born in Canada to a Hungarian father and Canadian mother, growing up in England, and now residing in Vienna. A critically acclaimed 'writers' writer,' he was previously shortlisted for the Booker in 2016. This year, to combat the stress of the ceremony, he 'hypnotised' himself into believing he wouldn't win, leading to an 'eerily calm' demeanor before his surprising victory. 'Flesh' originated from the abandonment of a four-year project, with Szalay aiming to explore his feelings of being 'emotionally marooned' between England and Hungary, and 'the physicality of existence.' The title, initially deemed 'unliterary,' ultimately suited the novel's focus on the body and pervasive unease. The story follows István, a Hungarian immigrant, through a series of extreme and morally complex events, from a traumatic youth to becoming wealthy in London. Szalay describes it as a 'Greek tragedy' designed to put the hero 'through the wringer.' His work consistently examines masculinity, with 'Flesh' tackling sex, violence, and money from a 'specifically male perspective' with brutal honesty. István is intentionally an unknowable character, often responding with a simple 'OK,' a triumph of 'relentless exteriority.' The novel also weaves in historical events like the Iraq war, Eastern European migration, and the pandemic, showing the impact of socioeconomic forces. Szalay, a 'literary hermit' in Vienna, prefers compressed novels and cites Hemingway, Updike, and Woolf as influences. He's already working on his next book, which will partly feature a female perspective. His Booker win, a monumental event, served as a good excuse for him and his wife to leave their young son with family.
