Kiran Desai's Novel Leads Strong US Presence on Booker Prize Shortlist
Kiran Desai's novel 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny' is a Booker Prize favorite. The shortlist heavily features U.S. authors, reflecting the prize's 2014 expansion to all nationalities.
Subscribe to unlock this story
We really don't like cutting you off, but you've reached your monthly limit. At just $5/month, subscriptions are how we keep this project going. Start your free 7-day trial today!
Get StartedHave an account? Sign in
Overview
- Kiran Desai's novel, 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,' is a strong contender for the Booker Prize, exploring themes of love and family across India and the United States.
- The current Booker Prize shortlist prominently features American authors, comprising half of the selected books, highlighting a significant shift in the prize's scope.
- The Booker Prize expanded its eligibility in 2014, allowing writers of any nationality, including American authors, to be considered for the prestigious literary award.
- Established authors like Kiran Desai, Andrew Miller, and David Szalay are among those shortlisted, with no debut authors making the cut this year.
- A judging panel, including Roddy Doyle and Sarah Jessica Parker, evaluated 153 books using a traffic light system to determine the Booker Prize longlist and shortlist.
Report issue
Read both sides in 5 minutes each day
Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover the Booker Prize shortlist neutrally, focusing on factual reporting of the selections and relevant context. They present diverse perspectives on the prize's evolution, particularly regarding American authors, without adopting a specific stance. The coverage prioritizes informing readers about the literary event and its broader implications, maintaining an objective tone.
Articles (3)
FAQ
The 2025 Booker Prize shortlist includes Susan Choi (Flashlight), Katie Kitamura (Audition), Ben Markovits (The Rest of Our Lives), Andrew Miller (The Land in Winter), and David Szalay (Flesh), alongside Kiran Desai.
'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny' explores themes of love, family, class, race, nationhood, migration, and generational bonds as experienced by its titular characters.
Since 2014, the Booker Prize expanded its eligibility to include writers of any nationality, allowing authors from the U.S. and elsewhere outside the UK and Commonwealth to be considered.
Kiran Desai spent nearly 20 years writing 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny,' which at 667 pages is the longest book on the 2025 Booker Prize list.
If Kiran Desai wins the Booker Prize in 2025, she would become only the fifth author in the prize's history to win it twice, marking a historic achievement.
History
- This story does not have any previous versions.