The Novel Index

Chart

Four authors have won the Booker twice, most recently Margaret Atwood in 2019

A former winner has been back on the Booker shortlist 27 times since 1969, and won 4 of those times: J. M. Coetzee (1999), Peter Carey (2001), Hilary Mantel (2012) and Margaret Atwood (2019).

J. G. Farrell's 1973 win isn't counted as a return: his earlier win, for Troubles, is the Lost Man Booker for novels of 1970, only awarded in 2010.

Four authors have won the Booker twice, most recently Margaret Atwood in 2019One row per author: J. M. Coetzee, Peter Carey, Hilary Mantel, Margaret Atwood. Each dot is a year they were on the Booker shortlist; the larger dots are wins.WonShortlisted197019801990200020102020J. M. Coetzee: won in 1983 and 1999; shortlisted in 2009J. M. Coetzee19831999Peter Carey: won in 1988 and 2001; shortlisted in 1985, 2010Peter Carey19882001Hilary Mantel: won in 2009 and 2012Hilary Mantel20092012Margaret Atwood: won in 2000 and 2019; shortlisted in 1986, 1989, 1996, 2003Margaret Atwood20002019
Four authors have won the Booker twice, most recently Margaret Atwood in 2019One row per author: J. M. Coetzee, Peter Carey, Hilary Mantel, Margaret Atwood. Each dot is a year they were on the Booker shortlist; the larger dots are wins.WonShortlisted197019902010J. M. Coetzee: won in 1983 and 1999; shortlisted in 2009J. M. Coetzee19831999Peter Carey: won in 1988 and 2001; shortlisted in 1985, 2010Peter Carey19882001Hilary Mantel: won in 2009 and 2012Hilary Mantel20092012Margaret Atwood: won in 2000 and 2019; shortlisted in 1986, 1989, 1996, 2003Margaret Atwood20002019
Source: The Novel Index, from the Booker Prize's winners and shortlists, 1969–2026.Download image (PNG)
The numbers behind the chart
AuthorWonAlso shortlisted
J. M. Coetzee1983, 19992009
Peter Carey1988, 20011985, 2010
Hilary Mantel2009, 2012none
Margaret Atwood2000, 20191986, 1989, 1996, 2003

How we made this

Every Booker winner and shortlisted novel from 1969 to 2026, from the prize's own record (longlists aren't counted). A return counts when the author had already won in an earlier year. Wins in the Lost Man Booker, awarded in 2010 for novels of 1970, aren't counted as regular-year wins.

Every year's winner is on the Booker Prize page, and this year's shortlist is on the 2026 page.

How The Novel Index works

Lists used in this chart