Additional Coverage:
- Booker Prize shortlist 2025: Six ‘brilliantly written and brilliantly human’ stories (the-independent.com)
Booker Prize 2025 Shortlist Announced: A Blend of Literary Veterans and Fresh Voices
The 2025 Booker Prize shortlist has been revealed, showcasing a compelling mix of established authors and debut novelists. The selected works promise a captivating exploration of the human condition, pushing narrative boundaries while staying true to the art of storytelling.
This year’s shortlist features several literary heavyweights, including previous Booker winner Kiran Desai ( The Inheritance of Loss) returning with The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. Andrew Miller (Oxygen) and David Szalay (All That Man Is) also make their second appearances on the shortlist with The Land in Winter and Flesh, respectively.
American writers Susan Choi (Flashlight), Katie Kitamura (Audition), and Ben Markovits (The Rest of Our Lives) round out the list, each making their Booker Prize debut.
Roddy Doyle, chair of the judges, praised the authors’ command of language and their unique storytelling abilities. He highlighted the common thread uniting the novels: the exploration of individuals navigating the complexities of human relationships. Doyle lauded the books as both “brilliantly written and brilliantly human.”
The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 10, 2025, and streamed live on the Booker Prize social media channels. Each shortlisted author receives £2,500 and a special edition of their book, with the winner receiving an additional £50,000.
Here’s a closer look at the shortlisted authors and their works:
- Kiran Desai, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny: Desai’s third novel, and first since her 2006 Booker win, explores love and loneliness in the modern world. The nearly 700-page saga (whittled down from a staggering 5,000-page draft) could make Desai the fifth two-time Booker winner.
- Andrew Miller, The Land in Winter: The award-winning author (Ingenious Pain, Pure) draws inspiration from a personal anecdote and a desire to recapture a distant past in his 10th novel, winner of the 2025 Walter Scott Prize.
- David Szalay, Flesh: The Hungarian-British author’s sixth novel explores contemporary Europe and the human experience of inhabiting a physical body. Flesh has already garnered significant critical acclaim and topped numerous “best of” lists.
- Susan Choi, Flashlight: Choi’s sixth novel, originating as a short story, delves into the post-war Korean immigrant experience, moving between Japan, suburban America, and North Korea.
- Katie Kitamura, Audition: The Rome Prize recipient’s novel examines the evolving parent-child relationship. Audition is set to be adapted into a film starring Lucy Liu, Charles Melton, and Lulu Wang.
- Ben Markovits, The Rest of Our Lives: The former professional basketball player and Granta Best Young British Novelist explores middle age and the subtle yet significant shifts in family life in his 11th novel.
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- Booker Prize shortlist 2025: Six ‘brilliantly written and brilliantly human’ stories (the-independent.com)