NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Indian author Kiran Desai has been longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize for her new novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. This marks her return to the literary world nearly two decades after her last book. The novel explores themes of migration, identity, memory, and class through the intertwined lives of two Indian characters living between India and the United States.
Desai, who won the Booker Prize in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss, is the only past winner on this year’s longlist. If she wins again, she will join the ranks of only four other authors who have received the prize twice. Her mother, celebrated novelist Anita Desai, was shortlisted for the Booker three times.
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, published by Hamish Hamilton, spans 667 pages, making it the longest novel among the 13 books on the 2025 Booker Prize longlist. The story centers on Sonia, a writer who returns to India after studying in Vermont, and Sunny, a journalist living in New York. Their lives intersect during a train journey and later unfold across continents and generations.
The Booker Prize panel praised the novel as “vast and immersive,” calling it a blend of love story, social commentary, and modern fable. The book delves into personal and political themes, examining how migration and family history shape identity and belonging. It also touches on the lingering effects of global conflict.
The novel is set to be released on September 23.
Desai was born in New Delhi and educated in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Her debut novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard, came out in 1998. Her second book, The Inheritance of Loss, won both the Booker Prize and the U.S. National Book Critics Circle Award in 2006. After that, she stayed mostly out of the public eye. Her return with a third novel has sparked strong interest around the world.
In this new work, Desai continues her focus on diaspora themes. She follows Sonia and Sunny as they navigate the pressures of family, identity, and inherited trauma. The novel moves through urban landscapes, past and present, highlighting emotional and material struggles passed down through generations.
The 2025 Booker Prize longlist was announced on July 29. It includes 13 novels selected from 153 submissions. This year’s list spans nine nationalities and four continents. The books explore life across war zones, classrooms, city apartments, and distant fields. They tackle both personal challenges and broader political issues.
The judging panel is chaired by Irish writer Roddy Doyle. Other members include Nigerian novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, American actor and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker, British literary critic Chris Power, and American author Kiley Reid.
The shortlist of six books will be revealed on September 17. The winner, who will receive £50,000 (about $64,500), will be announced in London on November 11.
Desai’s inclusion on the longlist cements her place among the most influential voices in global literature. Her ability to merge personal stories with larger social themes has made her a unique and lasting presence. If she wins the prize again, she will join the likes of Hilary Mantel and J.M. Coetzee, who have each claimed the Booker twice.
Her new novel continues to explore what it means to live between places, cultures, and generations. With The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Desai once again brings sharp insight and lyrical storytelling to the global stage.
As readers await the book’s release, the literary world watches to see whether Desai will make history once more.
