One of my favourite foreign book-related events each year is the Booker Prize Longlist announcement. This year it’s on July 29; with the shortlist announcement on September 23. The winner will be revealed on November 10. Part of the fun is guessing which 12 or 13 titles will be on the longlist.
There are a lot of entry rules, many dealing with the number of books a publisher can submit, which depends partly on entries and winners from past years but there are loopholes as a judge can also request titles. In recent years the longlist tends to be leaked way ahead of time so one major change this year is that publishers will not be notified beforehand.
The Booker has always been unpredictable in its choices but generally it consists of some buzzy books, a good number of ‘left field choices’ and then a couple from a small press. Really though it relies on the judging panel’s tastes and I tend to base my own picks on that – I rigorously study the judges background and let that influence me.
This year Roddy Doyle is chairing the panel, the first time a former Booker winner has chaired. The other members are Nigerian author and previous Booker longlistee, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀; actress and publisher, Sarah Jessica Parker; author and Booker longlistee, Kiley Reid; and literary critic, Chris Power.
I am therefore expecting this year’s longlist to consist of Irish authors, trauma narratives, novels with an emphasis on complex relationships, a couple of plot heavy books and some with a heavy political angle. The Booker has always mirrored the cultural climate of the world and I expect books with this focus to crop up on the list too.
The following are some guesses. I hesitate to say predictions. These are the titles I feel that are strong contender’s and match the tastes of the judges. As a disclaimer I have not read any of the books mentioned (bar one) and my information is culled from summaries and reviews.
David Szalay – Flesh
David Szalay was last shortlisted for his book All That Man Is in 2016. Flesh has already been touted as one of his strongest works to date. The plot is a coming-of-age story which concerns a Hungarian boy, who, due to circumstances, moves to London and a part of the book details his culture clash.
Wendy Erskine – The Benefactors
I’m halfway through Irish author Wendy Erskine’s debut novel. It’s a topical book which examines privilege and toxic masculinity. Four young men assault a person and their mothers cannot accept it. Stylewise, the book shifts perspectives and the writing is conversational. Erskine is known for her short stories so The Benefactors is a big ambitious leap but I think it works.
Robbie Arnott – Dusk
Robbie Arnott is a first-class storyteller. I have read two of his novels, and I can recommend them without hesitation. On the surface, Dusk seems to be of an equally high standard. It has been published in Australia but will be published in Europe in August.
One major theme of Arnott’s books is man versus nature and Dusk features twins in their mid-adulthood looking for a mystical Puma. At times Arnott’s work can be surreal but lately he has been toning it down and this is one of my most anticipated books of 2025.
Issa Quincy – Absence
This looks to be an interesting one and has been described as ‘hypnotic’. The narrator of the book discovers a poem which makes him delve into his memories, both good and bad. Also, it is published by Granta, who also have a good track record when it comes to Booker nominated novels – their books tend to gel with Booker panels over the years.
Patrick Holloway – The Language of Remembering
Epoque Press have been quietly publishing mini-masterpieces over the last few years, and I’m surprised that they haven’t had an author win the Booker. Hopefully The Language of Remembering will break that curse.
An Irish family based in Brazil move to their homeland. The father wants to reconnect with his mother who has Alzheimer’s, and they share memories while his wife is revisiting past traumas. Plot seems interesting and seems to hit all interests of the panel.
As I said earlier, this is not definitive, but it is part of the fun! In fact, I like it even more when I get everything wrong because it opens my eyes to new discoveries.
Booker season has begun and be prepared to see more posts in the future.
