Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, whose own work was longlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize in 2023, has been appointed as a judge for the 2025 Booker Prize, per thebookerprizes.com.
This marks a significant milestone in the distinguished literary career of the internationally renowned novelist.
Adébáyọ̀, celebrated for her masterful storytelling and profound exploration of contemporary Nigerian society, brings a wealth of experience to the judging panel. Her appointment comes on the heels of her recent success with A Spell of Good Things, which garnered widespread acclaim and earned spots on both the Booker Prize longlist and the Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist.
Also on the judging panel are 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle; award-winning actor, producer and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker; writer, broadcaster and literary critic Chris Power; and New York Times bestselling and Booker Prize-longlisted author Kiley Reid.
Adébáyọ̀’s literary journey has been marked by exceptional achievements. Her debut novel Stay With Me received multiple accolades, including the Prix Les Afriques and the 9mobile Prize for Literature, while also being shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Wellcome Book Prize. Her works have resonated globally, having been translated into more than 20 languages.
Adébáyọ̀’s creative repertoire extends beyond traditional novel writing. In 2021, she ventured into multimedia storytelling with Provenance, an immersive installation piece co-produced with the University of East Anglia, where she previously studied creative writing after completing her literature degree at Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University.
Known for her meticulous approach to writing, Adébáyọ̀ has often spoken about her creative process, describing it as a patient pursuit of narrative truth. “Ideas, especially the ones that become novels, come to me before I am ready for them,” she has noted, emphasising the importance of allowing stories to develop organically.
Her appointment to the Booker Prize judging panel represents a full-circle moment for the author, whose own work A Spell of Good Things took her nearly eight years to complete before its Booker Prize recognition.
- Featured image: Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ © Tomiwa Ajayi
