Nigerian Novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ Joins Booker Prize Panel as 2025 Longlist Announced

Ikenna ChurchillJuly 30, 20251 Mins read1.7k

Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ has been brought in to join the judging panel for the 2025 Booker Prize, which on Tuesday published a 13-book longlist touted as the most global in a decade.

Adébáyọ̀-author of “A Spell of Good Things” and “Stay with Me”-joins the panel with Irish novelist and past Booker winner Roddy Doyle, who is chair; American author Kiley Reid; British critic Chris Power; and American actor and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker. The five judges collectively narrowed down 153 novels submitted to shortlist the longlist.

The 2025 offering includes writers of nine nationalities, whose subjects include migration and identity, family, history, and political conflict.

Among the longlisted authors is Kiran Desai, who last year appeared following her Booker win in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss. Her new book, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, has been one of the year’s most eagerly awaited books. Malaysian author Tash Aw is also on the list, whose book has been hailed as a breakthrough for Southeast Asian literature.

The Booker Prize 2025 longlist © Yuki Sugiura for Booker Prize Foundation

The shortlist features David Szalay, Susan Choi, Natasha Brown, Ben Markovits, and first-time writers Maria Reva, Endling, and Ledia Xhoga, with Misinterpretation.

Booker chair Roddy Doyle likened the shortlist to “alive with great characters and narrative surprises,” as he confessed to the difficulty of narrowing down the competition.

The panel came under fire over transparency when it was revealed that Sarah Jessica Parker had a publishing relationship with a longlisted writer. The Booker Foundation maintained that Parker had recused herself from discussing that book, stressing that all the decisions were made in consultation.

To Adébáyọ̀, who is now one of Nigeria’s best-known voices in fiction, the appointment is a landmark. Her role is seen as progress for African representation in one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards.

The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 23 at London’s Royal Festival Hall, with the winner announced on November 10 at Old Billingsgate. The winner will be awarded £50,000, £2,500 for each shortlisted author.

This year’s longlist guarantees the Booker Prize’s pledge to broaden its remit and celebrate the international nature of modern fiction.