The Booker Prize 2025 judges, left to right, writer Chris Power, author Kiley Reid, 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, actor Sarah Jessica Parker, and Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Ayobami Adebayo, pose for a photo during the the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist announcement event, held at Southbank Centre, in London, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
The Booker Prize 2025 judges, left to right, writer Chris Power, author Kiley Reid, 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, actor Sarah Jessica Parker, and Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Ayobami Adebayo, pose for a photo during the the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist announcement event, held at Southbank Centre, in London, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
Kiran Desai is a favorite and US authors make a strong showing on the Booker Prize shortlist
LONDON (AP) 鈥 Booker Prize -winning Indian author Kiran Desai is a favorite to win the coveted fiction trophy for a second time with her first novel in two decades.
The Booker Prize 2025 judges, left to right, writer Chris Power, author Kiley Reid, 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, actor Sarah Jessica Parker, and Booker Prize-longlisted novelist Ayobami Adebayo, pose for a photo during the the Booker Prize 2025 shortlist announcement event, held at Southbank Centre, in London, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
LONDON (AP) 鈥 Booker Prize -winning Indian author Kiran Desai is a favorite to win the coveted fiction trophy for a second time with her first novel in two decades.
鈥淭he Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny鈥 is on a U.S.-dominated six-book shortlist announced Tuesday by a judging panel that includes Irish writer and actor . The almost 700-page tale of two young Indians making their way in the United States is Desai鈥檚 third novel and her first since 鈥淭he Inheritance of Loss,鈥 which won the Booker Prize in 2006.
Two previous Booker finalists are up for the 50,000 ($68,000) prize again: U.K. writer Andrew Miller for 鈥淭he Land in Winter,鈥 set during an early-1960s cold snap, and Hungarian-British writer David Szalay for 鈥淔lesh,鈥 which charts one man鈥檚 life across decades.
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Three novels by Americans complete the list: Susan Choi鈥檚 family saga 鈥淔lashlight鈥; Katie Kitamura鈥檚 tale of acting and identity, 鈥淎udition鈥; and midlife-crisis road trip 鈥淭he Rest of Our Lives鈥 by Ben Markovits.
Doyle 鈥 a Booker winner himself in 1993 for 鈥淧addy Clarke Ha Ha Ha鈥 鈥 said the six books tackle big issues, including migration and class, in a 鈥渂rilliantly human鈥 way.
鈥淭hey all follow the human in the stories,鈥 Doyle said. 鈥淭hat might seem a bit trite, but I鈥檝e read novels where I鈥檝e often felt to myself, if there was a little bit less showing off there would be a good story there. And I don鈥檛 think any of these books show off.鈥
Founded in 1969, the Booker Prize has a reputation for transforming writers鈥 careers. Its winners have included Salman Rushdie, , , and Samantha Harvey, who won last year with 鈥淥rbital.鈥
Past winners have included debut novels 鈥 from 鈥淭he God of Small Things鈥 in 1997 to 鈥淪huggie Bain鈥 in 2020 鈥 but this year鈥檚 list is dominated by veterans. All the finalists are decades into their careers, and all but Desai have published at least five books.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the best thing about writing books,鈥 said Kiley Reid, author of the novel 鈥淪uch a Fun Age鈥 and another member of the judging panel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not gymnastics. You don鈥檛 peak at any age. And seeing authors late into their careers have these wonderful moments, it鈥檚 really encouraging.鈥
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Originally open to novels from the U.K., Ireland and the Commonwealth, the prize expanded in 2014 to admit American writers. Worries about an American takeover have largely proved unfounded, though this year鈥檚 list of six includes three American writers and a fourth, Desai, who has long lived in New York.
That鈥檚 likely to reignite grumbling from some in the U.K., especially since big American fiction prizes like the Pulitzer and the National Book Awards are only open to U.S.-based authors.
鈥淲ell, that鈥檚 not our only problem鈥 in the U.S., Parker said.
鈥淎s somebody who likes to read globally, I always want more and more diversity,鈥 said the 鈥淪ex and the City鈥 star, a longtime advocate for reading and literacy. 鈥淪o I would love all literary awards and competitions to alert readers to great books, no matter where they鈥檙e from.鈥
The judges read 153 novels submitted by publishers, selecting 13 semifinalists and then narrowing that to six during a four-hour meeting. Another meeting looms to pick a winner, who will be crowned on Nov. 10 at a ceremony in London.
Parker said it had been a joy to immerse herself in a year of reading, but that cutting books from contention was 鈥渞eal agony.”
鈥淲e all had a couple of books that our heart was broken,鈥 she said.
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