The 2025 Booker Prize winner will be announced on November 10 at the Old Bailey in London. Between now and then, there will likely be lots of buzz, interviews, and speculation, which sometimes shifts perceptions of the frontrunners. The shortlisted books are:
“Flesh” David Szalay
“The Land in Winter” Andrew Miller
“The Rest of Our Lives” Ben Markovits
“Audition” Katie Kitamura
“The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” Kiran Desai
“Flashlight” Susan Choi
The panel of judges, which includes Chris Power, Kiley Reid, Ayò̩bámi Adebayo, Sarah Jessica Parker, and chair Roddy Doyle, commented in their announcement that that their selection emphasizes “brilliantly human” novels and works where the “individual” is in conversation with other people, exploring relational tensions and inner lives. They chose works with distinct voices, structural ambition, and emotional depth.
Kiran Desai is a past Booker winner (2006), which gives her a pedigree that may have influenced some judges. Andrew Miller has been shortlisted before, and enjoys a strong reputation in literary circles. David Szalay is a previous Booker finalist. Susan Choi is an esteemed novelist with prior awards and recognition. Ben Markovits and Katie Kitamura are also strong, but perhaps less “establishment” in some senses.
The shortlist leans toward weighty themes, cross-border or cross-cultural tensions, identity, migration and intimacy. The presence of “sweeping, epic, generational” narratives has appeal, especially when combined with strong character work. Sometimes the winner is not the biggest name but the one that surprises — a book that makes judges feel they must pick it after deliberation. The judges may try to avoid the “obvious” pedigree pick to appear more adventurous or risk-taking.
Size seems less a barrier. Large novels sometimes get penalized for overreach, but smaller, more precisely wrought novels, when every sentence matters, often do well in Booker outcomes.
Armed with these factors we have asked AI to predict this year’s winner two months ahead of the official announcement. This is what we got:
Kiran Desai – The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny → 40 %
Strengths: Past winner, comeback after 19 years, ambitious scope, emotional intensity.
Risks: Length and overreach; juries sometimes hesitate to reward previous winners again.
Susan Choi – Flashlight → 25 %
Strengths: Highly respected US novelist, structurally inventive, thematically rich.
Risks: Less “sweeping epic,” may be seen as a stylist’s book, which can split juries.
David Szalay – Flesh → 15 %
Strengths: Former finalist, reputation for sharp psychological fiction; compact precision.
Risks: Judges may prefer grander scope this year; could be seen as too subtle compared to Desai/Choi.
Andrew Miller – The Land of Winter → 10 %
Strengths: Veteran, consistently strong prose, Booker-friendly style.
Risks: Feels like a “solid shortlist” novel rather than a winner; less buzzy.
Katie Kitamura – Audition → 6 %
Strengths: Rising star, admired by critics for taut, elegant prose; aligns with interest in identity and belonging.
Risks: May be overshadowed by larger names and narratives.
Ben Markovits – The Rest of Our Lives → 4 %
Strengths: Smart, intellectual novelist with loyal following.
Risks: Historically overlooked by prizes; less likely to capture “consensus winner” momentum.
AI predicts “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” to be the 2025 Booker winner and here’s why:
Pedigree & comeback narrative — she’s already won, which gives her literary cachet. But this is her first novel in nearly two decades, a kind of “return to form” that often appeals to prize juries.
Scale & ambition — the 700-page sweep, intergenerational scope, and cross-cultural dimensions might align with the judges’ desire for a novel that is “no one else could have written.”
Emotional & relational depth — the judges’ own language suggests they want intense internal/relational conflicts, which Desai’s novel seems to deliver.
In conclusion, balancing risk and safety, AI predicts, “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” to be the winner, which is not an entirely safe pick because of its length and ambition, but its author’s reputation may give it enough cushion to survive critical scrutiny. The judges however, are human, and may have tried to avoid the obvious pedigree pick to appear more adventurous and risk-taking. Could “The Rest of Our Lives” actually be the winner?
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