The 2025 Booker Prize judges gathered recently to discuss what it’s really like to serve on one of literature’s most prestigious panels. Their candid responses revealed everything from the simple perks to the life-altering commitment of reading up to 30 books a month.
When asked about their favorite thing about being a Booker Prize judge, Nigerian novelist Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ didn’t hesitate: “Free books.”
The room laughed, and fellow judge Kiley Reid jumped in with her own take: “I feel very vain. Walking into a bookstore being like, I read that, I read that, I read that one. I read that one. So the bragging rights are crazy.”
Sarah Jessica Parker, the award-winning actor, producer, and publisher, took a more reflective tone: “The headline is definitely just having access to this volume of books and the understanding that you have to read them. It’s a commitment, a contract, but for anybody who is a devoted reader, it’s the privilege of a lifetime.”
Writer and critic Chris Power brought the conversation to the practical reality: “At the start of a month, you’ve got a box of 25 or even 30 books, and you have to read them in 30 or 31 days.”
Judging chair Roddy Doyle, the critically acclaimed writer and 1993 Booker Prize winner, chimed in immediately: “Or less, or less, and that’s very intimidating and makes you kind of reshape your life. I have to reacquaint myself with the art of cooking. I have my children’s names on a piece of paper, just to remind me again who they are, what age they are, where they live. So every other aspect of my life has been totally neglected and ignored, really.”
He paused, then added with a laugh: “We’re coming up to the end, and I’m dreading going back into the normal world, really. But it’s been an amazing experience, you know.”
The exchange offered a rare glimpse into the intensive work behind the Booker Prize. It is a process that requires not just literary expertise but extraordinary dedication and, as the judges made clear, a willingness to temporarily abandon normal life for the sake of literature.
The 2025 Booker Prize shortlist was selected from 153 submissions by the distinguished judging panel chaired by Roddy Doyle, including Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Power, and Kiley Reid.
The prize celebrates the best works of long-form fiction by writers of any nationality, written in English and published in the UK and/or Ireland between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Each shortlisted author receives £2,500, a specially bound edition of their book, and gains global readerships along with increased profile and sales.
The winner of the Booker Prize 2025 will be announced at a ceremony in London on Monday, November 10, and will receive £50,000.
We enjoyed watching the reel a little too much, but don’t take our word for it. See for yourself.
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