Get to know the Booker Prize 2025 judges
Roddy Doyle, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Power and Kiley Reid reveal how they’ve made more time for reading and why talking about books is always illuminating
We’re less than two weeks away from finding out the Booker Prize 2025 longlist. Ahead of the big reveal on Tuesday 29 July, we caught up with the judges before they decide which books will be on the list. Over the last seven months, they’ve read well over 100 novels – just 13 will make it through.
This year’s panel is chaired by 1993’s Booker winner Roddy Doyle and includes Booker-longlisted novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, writer, broadcaster and literary critic Chris Power, award-winning actor, producer and publisher Sarah Jessica Parker, and New York Times bestselling and Booker-longlisted author Kiley Reid.
In a series of candid Q&As, the judges discuss how they’ve tackled their immense TBR piles, and share their expert tips for fitting more reading into your life. They also tell us who’d be in their dream book clubs, the books that first sparked their love of reading and their all-time favourite Booker-nominated books.
And if you’re wondering what makes a Booker Prize winner, we have an animated explainer that charts one book’s progress through the process – from initial submission, through longlisting and shortlisting, to being crowned the winner.
Roddy Doyle: ‘When I’m really enjoying a book, I stop taking notes’
Us: You will read well over 100 books in seven months as a Booker Prize judge. How are you approaching this unique challenge?
Roddy: I start reading at about 6am and, basically, keep going all day. I read eating, queueing, waiting for buses, in a chair in a corner of my kitchen, in pubs and cafes and – once – at the back of a church at a funeral. (It’s what he would have wanted.)
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀: ‘It’s a delight to share the joy of discovering great writing with other people’
Us: How does discussing a book with other people change the reading experience?
Ayọ̀bámi: Such discussions expand my reading experience by adding new perspectives and challenging my interpretations. Hearing what resonated with someone else or what put them off can reveal nuances I might have missed on my own. Even if my core opinion about a book doesn’t change after a conversation, I’ve found that it is always enriched in some way.
Sarah Jessica Parker: ‘I never leave home without a book’
Us: Reading is usually a solitary activity. How is reading for the Booker Prize different from your normal reading experiences?
Sarah Jessica: In the past, when I’ve been alone, reading, there can be kind of peripheral action going on around me that I integrated and didn’t mind. This kind of solitary reading, I think, on behalf of all the authors, deserves true isolation. It’s been very different. It takes more effort in a way, simply because I’m taking the task so seriously.
Chris Power interview: ‘I’ve read 150 books in seven months yet still spend too much time doomscrolling’
Us: Who would be in your dream book club?
Chris: Virginia Woolf, Borges, Roberto Bolaño, Italo Calvino and Ursula le Guin. I want them because they’re not only incredible authors, but also great writers of non-fiction about how novels and stories work. I’ll be present but in a strictly snack-serving and eavesdropping capacity. We’ll meet at one of the mid-century modern houses I find myself salivating over in idle moments and the book we – sorry, they – will discuss is whichever one wins the Booker this year.
Kiley Reid interview: ‘I love stories that don’t feel rushed and refuse to hold your hand’
Us: What are your tips for people who want to find more time for reading?
Kiley: Making time to read is like making time for anything else – you have to combine habits or give up something else. Combining habits looks like reading while on a treadmill. But giving up something is not necessarily a loss. For seven months now, I haven’t dipped into my own writing as it’s just not possible with the volume of submissions. But reading is such an essential part of writing and I’m still feeding my process despite not sitting down to write.
How to win the Booker Prize
Ever wondered what makes a winner? Our animated explainer runs through the process, from initial submissions, through longlisting and shortlisting, to ultimately winning the Booker Prize.
How do you make time for reading more? Let us – and fellow readers – know in the comments.
Why is an actor on a literary judging panel?
Oh my word that book with the royal blue cover is my latest book! What does this mean?! The title of my book has been erased from the photos though, that is why I am also not mentioning it here. I will say it is about food history of the Low Countries.