7 Prize-Winning Classics That Conquered the Critics and Still Move Readers Today

1. Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, Translated by Daisy Rockwell – International Booker Prize

In 2022, Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand made history as the first Hindi novel to win the International Booker Prize. Translated with finesse by Daisy Rockwell, the book tells the story of an 80-year-old woman who defies expectations after the death of her husband. Instead of retreating into silence, she begins an unconventional journey—crossing borders both literal and metaphorical—that revisits the trauma of Partition and celebrates the vitality of life in old age.

What makes Tomb of Sand unforgettable is its playful language and ability to weave together tragedy, humour, and wisdom. It challenges stereotypes about ageing and womanhood while also reclaiming forgotten histories. The International Booker Prize elevated this work from regional recognition to the global stage, proving that stories told in Indian languages have universal resonance.

2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel – Man Booker Prize, 2002

Few novels blur the line between myth and reality as compellingly as Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. The winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize, the novel follows Pi Patel, a young boy stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. On the surface, it’s a survival story; at a deeper level, it’s a philosophical meditation on faith, storytelling, and the human will to endure.

Martel’s masterful narrative technique makes readers question what is real and what is imagined, leaving them with a lingering sense of wonder. The book has inspired countless discussions on the nature of truth, and its enduring popularity is evident in its successful film adaptation. Two decades after its Booker win, Life of Pi continues to enchant both casual readers and critics alike.

3. James by Percival Everett – Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2025; National Book Award 2024; Kirkus Prize

Percival Everett’s James is a landmark in contemporary fiction, sweeping the most prestigious awards, including the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. A reimagining of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the novel shifts perspective to Jim, the enslaved man whose humanity Twain only partially captured.

Through Everett’s storytelling, Jim’s voice becomes central—wise, ironic, and piercingly insightful. By giving him the agency denied in Twain’s version, Everett reclaims a vital part of American literary history. Critics hailed James not only for its lyrical prose and sharp wit but also for its bold interrogation of race, identity, and the enduring legacies of slavery.

This novel demonstrates how great literature doesn’t just preserve the past—it rewrites it for future generations to confront and reconsider.

4. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez – Nobel Prize in Literature, 1982

Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude is not just a novel; it is a universe. In 1982, Márquez was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, with this masterpiece of magical realism standing as his most celebrated work. The novel chronicles the rise and fall of the Buendía family in the mythical town of Macondo, capturing the essence of Latin America’s history and imagination.

The book’s enchantment lies in its seamless blending of the extraordinary with the ordinary. Ghosts mingle with the living, time folds in on itself, and political history fuses with family destiny. Márquez turned Latin America’s tumultuous social and political realities into myth, giving voice to collective memories of oppression, revolution, and hope.

Even today, One Hundred Years of Solitude remains a literary touchstone across the globe, studied in classrooms and cherished by readers who find new meanings in each rereading.

5. We Do Not Part by Han Kang – Nobel Prize in Literature, 2024

South Korean author Han Kang, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024, continues to explore themes of fragility and resilience in her novel We Do Not Part. The book, which also won the French Prix Médicis for Foreign Literature and the Émile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature, is a haunting meditation on grief, survival, and the lingering wounds of war.

Han Kang’s prose is delicate yet devastating. Through fragments of memory and poetic imagery, she shows how trauma shapes lives across generations. By receiving recognition in France, the novel underscores the universality of human suffering and healing.

We Do Not Part stands as proof that literature can cross cultural boundaries, making the deeply personal resonate as a shared human condition.

6. Orbital by Samantha Harvey – Booker Prize, 2024

Set aboard a space station, Samantha Harvey’s Orbital is a profound reflection on humanity from the vantage point of the cosmos. Winner of the 2024 Booker Prize, the novel eschews traditional plot-driven narratives in favour of lyrical meditations on time, fragility, and the interconnectedness of life.

Through the voices of astronauts observing Earth from above, Harvey captures the paradox of distance and intimacy. While looking down at the planet, they see both its vulnerability and its beauty, contemplating questions that transcend borders and politics.

Orbital has been praised for expanding the possibilities of the novel form, turning science and philosophy into poetry. Its Booker win signalled that experimental yet deeply humane literature continues to thrive.

7. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi – Man Booker International Prize, 2019

With Celestial Bodies, Omani author Jokha Alharthi became the first Arabic-language writer to win the Man Booker International Prize in 2019. The novel offers a sweeping family saga set in a rapidly modernising Oman, tracing three sisters as they navigate tradition, love, and social transformation.

Alharthi’s storytelling is both intimate and panoramic. Through layered narratives, she examines themes of slavery, patriarchy, and generational change, offering global readers a rare glimpse into Omani society. The Man Booker International Prize not only celebrated the novel’s artistry but also amplified voices from a region often underrepresented in world literature.

Celestial Bodies continues to be a landmark work, bridging cultures and histories while affirming the power of fiction to reveal hidden worlds.

Why These Stories Endure

These seven prize-winning classics remind us why literature matters. They illuminate hidden histories, expand our empathy, and challenge the ways we see the world. From the magical town of Macondo to the silence of space, from the trauma of Partition to the resilience of survival, these books reveal that human stories—no matter where they are told—resonate universally.

Awards may have propelled them into the spotlight, but it is their emotional depth and enduring relevance that keep readers returning. In conquering critics and moving readers, they remind us of the timeless truth: great stories never truly end.

Also read: Booker Prize Longlist 2025: 13 Fiction Picks Worth Reading This Year