Percival Everett’s “James” is the favorite for the prestigious literary award. But the likes of Rachel Kushner’s “Creation Lake” or Samantha Harvey’s “Orbital” could take the prize instead.

The prize recognizes the best novel written in English and published in Britain or Ireland, and comes with a cash prize of 50,000 pounds, or $64,000 Orbital by Samantha Harvey has received the 2024 Booker Prize.

A lifelong fascination with outer space inspired British author Samantha Harvey to write her novel Orbital, which this week won the prestigious Booker Prize. "It seems a slightly eccentric choice because I didn't know anything about space but I've always been interested in it," Harvey told AFP in an interview on Thursday.