Booker Prize 1986: Complete list of winners

Kingsley Amis proved that age is no obstacle to literary excellence when his novel The Old Devils claimed the 1986 Booker Prize for Fiction. At a time when Amis was already an established giant of postwar British letters, the prize recognized his ability to remain sharp, witty, and devastatingly observant about the human condition. The award cemented what many readers already knew: Amis’s comic sensibility and penetrating character studies had lost none of their force, and The Old Devils stands as testament to an enduring talent.

The 1986 Booker Prize selection reflected the judging panel’s appreciation for a novel that captures the messy, often hilarious complexities of aging and relationships. Set largely in Wales and populated with a cast of aging bohemians and their entanglements, the book showcases Amis’s gift for blending comedy with genuine pathos—a combination that had defined his career since Lucky Jim decades earlier. The win was particularly significant given that the Booker Prize, by 1986, had already established itself as the premier award for Commonwealth fiction, and Amis’s victory demonstrated the prize’s commitment to recognizing sustained literary achievement alongside fresh voices.

Below, you’ll find detailed information about the 1986 Booker Prize winner and the year’s shortlisted works.

Fiction

• The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis