Discover the Most Diverse Booker Prize Longlist in a Decade: Features Kiran Desai and Tash Aw!

Kiran Desai, Tash Aw, and David Szalay are among the nominated authors for the 2025 Booker Prize. This year’s longlist showcases a diverse array of writers from nine different nationalities, marking the most global representation in a decade.

The judging panel includes Sarah Jessica Parker, known for her role in Sex and the City, alongside chair Roddy Doyle and authors Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Kiley Reid, and critic Chris Power. They selected 13 titles, known as the “Booker dozen,” including works by Susan Choi and Katie Kitamura.

Kiran Desai returns with her latest book, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, her first since winning the Booker in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss. This new novel took nearly 20 years to complete and stands as the longest entry on the list at 667 pages. Desai’s mother, Anita Desai, has been shortlisted for the Booker three times, adding to the family’s literary legacy.

Roddy Doyle praised the selected books for their vibrant characters and intriguing narratives. He noted they all engage with themes of identity, whether individual or national, making them compelling reads.

Tash Aw’s The South, nominated for the third time, could make him the first Malaysian to win the £50,000 prize if he prevails in November. David Szalay’s Flesh traces the life of a man named István over decades, while Andrew Miller’s The Land in Winter adds to his previous recognition from 2001.

Independent publishers are well-represented this year. Fitzcarraldo Editions, known for translated fiction, has its first longlist entry with Jonathan Buckley’s One Boat, the shortest title on the list at just 168 pages. Faber also boasts three nominations, showing a strong independent presence.

Interestingly, there are only two debut novels on this year’s list: Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga and Endling by Maria Reva. The latter follows three women and an endangered snail traveling in a mobile lab through Ukraine, highlighting contemporary challenges in a unique narrative.

Recent statistics show that the 2025 longlist reflects the highest diversity over the past decade, yet British authors are also strongly represented with five entries. Notably, not a single Irish writer made the list this year, despite their previous strong presence.

In the selection process, Doyle noted the challenge of narrowing down from 153 submitted works that were all written in English and published in the UK or Ireland within a specific timeframe.

The shortlist announcement is set for September 23, while the winner will be revealed on November 10. Last year’s prize went to Samantha Harvey for her novel Orbital, following a line of distinguished recent winners, including Paul Lynch and Douglas Stuart.

For those curious about past Booker trends, the prize has increasingly recognized a global literary landscape, adapting to the changing voices of contemporary authors while maintaining a connection to the literary traditions of the past.

For deeper insights into this year’s entries, check out the full longlist here.

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