The International Booker Prize 2025 longlist has been revealed and for the first time in the prize’s history, all 13 authors nominated are first-time contenders, per theguardian.com. This year’s list, described as “unconventional” by the judging panel, also features a record number of independent publishers, with 12 out of the 13 titles coming from indie presses.
The International Booker Prize, which awards £50,000 to be split equally between the winning author and translator, celebrates the best in translated fiction. This year’s longlist includes a diverse array of voices and stories, from the existential musings of a Romanian teacher to the futuristic visions of a Japanese novelist.
Among the notable nominees is Mircea Cărtărescu, the first Romanian author to be longlisted for the prize. His novel Solenoid, translated by Sean Cotter, delves into the surreal and existential journey of a teacher in communist Bucharest during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The novel, which won the €100,000 Dublin Literary Award last May testifies to Cărtărescu’s unique narrative style and Cotter’s masterful translation.
Japanese author Hiromi Kawakami, renowned for her novel Strange Weather in Tokyo, has been nominated for her latest work, Under the Eye of the Big Bird. Translated by Asa Yoneda, the novel presents a haunting vision of a future where humanity teeters on the brink of extinction. Kawakami’s evocative storytelling and Yoneda’s precise translation have earned high praise, with The Guardian’s James Bradley describing the voice as “marvellously captured.”
Christian Kracht, a Swiss author, makes the list with Eurotrash, translated by Daniel Bowles. This slim, 192-page novel follows a middle-aged writer and his terminally ill mother on a road trip through Switzerland, blending dark humour with poignant reflections on life and mortality.
The longlist also marks a historic moment for Kannada literature, with Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, becoming the first Kannada-language work to be nominated. Kannada, spoken by approximately 38 million people primarily in the Indian state of Karnataka, adds another layer of linguistic diversity to this year’s list.
In another first, an Iraqi translator, Sinan Antoon, has been nominated for his translation of The Book of Disappearance by Palestinian author Ibtisam Azem. The novel explores the sudden disappearance of Palestinians, weaving a rich and potent narrative that has captivated readers and critics alike.
This year’s longlist also sets a record for the longest period between an original-language publication and nomination. Astrid Roemer’s On a Woman’s Madness, first published in Dutch 43 years ago, has been translated into English by Lucy Scott, bringing this timeless story to a new audience.
The judging panel, chaired by author Max Porter, expressed their hope that this unconventional longlist will “exhilarate” readers. Porter emphasised the diverse themes explored in the nominated works, from the intricacies of family and friendship to the broader socio-political landscapes. “These books bring us into the agony of family, workplace or nation-state politics, the near-spiritual secrecy of friendship, the inner architecture of erotic feeling, the banality of capitalism and the agitations of faith,” he said.
The shortlist of six books will be announced on April 8, with the winner revealed at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern on May 20. The judging panel, which includes poet Caleb Femi, writer Sana Goyal, author and translator Anton Hur, and musician Beth Orton, selected the longlist from 154 submissions.
