As an official judge for the 2025 Booker Prize, actress and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker has said that deciding on the final shortlist was "real agony." Parker, known for her roles in film and television as well as her literary imprint, joined a panel of five judges to narrow down 13 longlisted books to the final six. She admitted that there was "nothing casual about letting a book go" and that the entire process was filled with a "genuine sadness" about not being able to publicly champion the books that didn't make the cut. This frank admission from a high profile figure offers a rare glimpse into the intense and emotional process of selecting one of the world's most prestigious literary awards.
Parker was one of five judges on the panel, which was chaired by Irish writer and 1993 Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle. The other judges included novelist Ayobami Adebayo, writer Chris Power, and author Kiley Reid. The group was responsible for reading and evaluating 153 novels published in the UK and Ireland over the course of the year. Parker, who has her own book imprint, SJP Lit, brought a unique perspective to the judging process. She has been vocal about her lifelong love of books and her belief in the power of storytelling to foster empathy and understanding. Her involvement in the prize has also helped to raise its public profile, bringing it to a wider audience.
The 2025 Booker Prize shortlist, which was announced on Tuesday, features six novels by authors from around the world. The list includes Flashlight by Susan Choi, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, Audition by Katie Kitamura, The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovits, The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, and Flesh by David Szalay. The novels on the shortlist explore diverse themes and are described by the judges as "brilliantly human" and "in total command of their own store of English." For a majority of the judges, it was a particularly difficult task to narrow the list down, with the panel admitting to a shared feeling of guilt for having to exclude so many other worthy titles.
Despite the agony of the selection process, the judges expressed a profound love for the books that made the final cut. The final shortlist is seen as a strong collection of works from both established and emerging voices. Parker's emotional investment in the process underscores the serious nature of the prize and the deep respect that the judges have for the authors and their craft. The final winner of the Booker Prize will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 10, 2025.
