Kiran Desai Returns to Booker Prize Shortlist with Epic Novel

Kiran Desai, renowned Indian author and 2006 Booker Prize winner for "The Inheritance of Loss," has returned to the Booker shortlist with her new novel "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny," her first in nearly two decades. The 667-page novel, praised as a "vast and immersive" exploration of love, identity, class, race, and alienation through the lives of two young Indians in America, is noted for its rich thematic depth and sweeping narrative. Judges have highlighted the novel's intimate yet expansive storytelling, positioning Desai as a favorite to win the prize again, which would make her one of only five double winners in the award's history. The 2025 Booker shortlist also includes works by Susan Choi, Katie Kitamura, Ben Markovits, David Szalay, and Andrew Miller, all praised for their human storytelling and tackling of big issues like migration and class. Literary critics have lauded Desai's novel as a masterpiece and a powerful, haunting epic about love, loss, and the search for personhood in the modern world. The Booker Prize winner will be announced on November 10, with each shortlisted author receiving a monetary prize and a specially bound edition of their book.