The book highlights themes of migration, love, cultural identity, and belonging. It also explores how personal stories connect with larger global experiences.
Author Kiran Desai, who won the Booker Prize in 2006, has once again made it to the prestigious shortlist. Her latest novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, is now among the six books nominated for the Booker Prize 2025.
Desai, born in Delhi, moved to the United States after completing her early education in India. She has always drawn inspiration from her Indian roots while writing stories that connect with global audiences.
Kiran Desai began her career with her debut novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. The book gained international attention and was published in more than 22 countries.
She reached new heights with her second book, The Inheritance of Loss, which won the Booker Prize in 2006. That win placed her in the global literary spotlight.
Now, with The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Desai has returned with another story that has impressed readers and critics alike.
According to the official Booker Prize website, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is “A spellbinding story of two young people whose fates intersect and diverge across continents and years – an epic of love and family, India and America, tradition and modernity.”
The book highlights themes of migration, love, cultural identity, and belonging. It also explores how personal stories connect with larger global experiences.
The 2025 Booker shortlist includes six authors. Along with Desai, the other five are:
These works were selected from 153 entries, all published in English between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
Every author who makes it to the shortlist receives £2,500 (around ₹2.99 lakh) and a specially bound edition of their book.
The final winner of the Booker Prize 2025 will be announced on November 10, 2025. The winning author will receive £50,000 (about ₹59.82 lakh).
Kiran Desai’s shortlisting has once again brought Indian writing to the world stage. After her 2006 win, her return to the Booker shortlist shows the lasting power of her voice in literature.
Her book not only connects India and America through its themes but also reflects on universal human experiences. Readers and critics now wait eagerly to see if Desai will win her second Booker Prize.
