The organizers of one of the world's most prestigious literary awards - the Booker Prize - have announced the 2025 longlist. It includes 13 books by authors from 9 countries - the jury calls it the most international in the last decade. The themes of the list cover the search for identity, the boundaries of the modern world and chamber human stories.
Notable events include the return of Kiran Desai with her novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which she worked on for nearly 20 years. The novel Flesh by David Szalay traces a character's life from adolescence to adulthood, and the One Boat by Jonathan Buckley is the shortest text on the list, but with strong emotional depth.
The full 2025 longlist:
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny - Kiran Desai;
Audition - Kathy Kitamura;
Flashlight - Susan Choi;
Flesh - David Szalay;
Misinterpretation - Ledia Joga;
Seascraper - Benjamin Wood;
Endling - Maria Reva;
The Land in Winter - Andrew Miller;
The Rest of Our Lives - Benjamin Markowitz;
One Boat - Jonathan Buckley;
Universality - Natasha Brown;
The South - Tash Ouva;
Love Forms — Claire Adam.
The chairman of the jury for this year's award was writer and playwright Roddy Doyle. He was joined by actress Sarah Jessica Parker and writers Ayobami Adebayo, Kylie Reid and Chris Power.
The shortlist of 6 books will be announced on September 23, 2025 on stage at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London. We will find out the name of the winner on November 10 - the winner will receive £50,000.
Last year's award went to Samantha Harvey for her novel about astronauts Orbitdedicating it to “all who speak for the Earth and for the dignity of life.”
What Are the Objectives of the Award?
The primary goal of the Award is to support authors and promote Russian-language literature worldwide. We welcome all who write and read in Russian, regardless of citizenship or place of residence. We aim to foster a Russian-language culture free from political and imperial influences.
How Is the Award Process Conducted?
The Award is given annually. The jury votes, with each member selecting between one and three works. The winner is the author whose work receives the most votes. Additionally, a reader’s vote (Crowdfunding) is conducted on the Award’s website, where readers can vote for authors and support them financially.
What Awards Are Provided?
The winner of the Award receives a grant to translate the work into English, French and German. Also, as part of the reader's vote, all collected funds are transferred to the authors for whom the readers voted.
When Does the Submission Period for the Competition Start and End?
Прием заявок на конкурс второго сезона премии начнется 1 сентября 2025-го и закончится 15-го октября 2025 года.
When will the list of finalists and winners be announced?
В январе 2026 года Совет Экспертов объявит список финалистов. Читательское голосование начинается в тот же месяц. В феврале-апреле члены жюри читают книги-финалисты, а победителей Премии и читательского голосования объявят в мае 2026 года.
What are the conditions for the nomination of a book for the award
В конкурсе второго сезона могут принимать участия произведения, изданные в 2024-м году. Произведения (роман, повесть, сборники рассказов и эссе, документальная проза), вышедшие отдельными изданиями или опубликованные в журналах. Номинировать на премию имеют право как издательства и редакции журналов, так и сами писатели или третьи лица (с согласия и письменного подтверждения автора). Тексты подаются к рассмотрению в электронном виде. Премия «Дар» открыта для всех авторов. Учитывая главные цели премии: продвижение современной русскоязычной литературы за пределами РФ и характер самого вознаграждение (грант на перевод) - приоритет будет отдаваться авторам, чьи произведения ранее не переводились на английский, французский и немецкий языки.
