Which Keri Hulme novel won the 1985 Booker Prize?

Keri Hulme’s novel The Bone People won the 1985 Booker Prize.

The novel centres on three outsiders in New Zealand: Kerewin Holmes, a solitary artist of mixed Māori and European heritage; Simon, a mysterious mute boy; and Joe, Simon’s Māori foster father. Their relationships become increasingly complicated as the book explores identity, cultural dislocation, violence, grief and belonging.

The win was controversial. Several judges strongly opposed the book because of its depictions of child abuse and domestic violence, but the divided panel ultimately selected it. Hulme was away in the United States when the result was announced, so members of her publisher, Spiral Collective, accepted the award for her.

A common mix-up is confusing the title with another 1985 shortlisted book, Anita Brookner’s Hotel du Lac. The Bone People was also historically notable as the first debut novel to win the Booker Prize.