Introduction to ‘Orbital’

Samantha Harvey’s latest novel, Orbital, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Booker Prize, a recognition bestowed on the best novel written in English and published in Britain or Ireland. Along with the honor, the prize includes a cash award of £50,000, approximately $64,000.

Overview of the Novel

Released in paperback in the U.S. on October 29, Orbital delves into the contemplative lives of six astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The narrative explores themes of bereavement, loneliness, and mission fatigue, seamlessly capturing the complexities of human emotion through the lens of a single day. Critics, including those from The New Yorker, have praised the book as “the strangest and most magical of projects.”

Critical Acclaim and Impact

Aside from winning the Booker Prize, Orbital has also garnered the 2024 Hawthornden Prize for Literature and was a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. The judges of the Booker Prize commented on the book’s ability to transport readers into the unique experiences of astronauts from various nations—America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan—traveling at over seventeen thousand miles per hour. Furthermore, Orbital is expected to lead to a significant increase in sales, highlighting its potential impact on readers and the literary community.

As a celebrated author with multiple awards to her name, Samantha Harvey’s work continues to leave an indelible mark on contemporary literature. Orbital is now available wherever books are sold.