Meet Kiran Desai, Acclaimed Indian Author Back On The Booker Prize Shortlist After Nearly 20 Years
Nearly two decades after winning the prestigious Booker Prize in 2006 for her internationally acclaimed novel The Inheritance of Loss, Indian author Kiran Desai has returned to the literary spotlight.
Her latest work, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, has been shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, marking a remarkable return to one of the world’s most celebrated literary stages. Desai’s reappearance on the Booker shortlist highlights not only her enduring talent but also the anticipation surrounding her long-awaited new novel.
Kiran Desai was born in Delhi, India, into a family steeped in literature. She is the daughter of renowned author Anita Desai, whose works have left a lasting imprint on modern Indian writing.
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Kiran Desai spent her early years in Punjab and Mumbai, attending the prestigious Cathedral and John Connon School. At the age of 14, she left India with her mother, spending a year in England before moving to the United States, where her journey in creative writing truly began.
Desai honed her craft at several prominent institutions, studying creative writing at Bennington College, Hollins University, and Columbia University. These formative years laid the foundation for her distinctive literary voice, blending rich cultural insight with global sensibilities.
Desai’s debut novel, Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard (1998), immediately established her as a rising literary talent. The novel received high praise from literary figures, including Salman Rushdie and won the Betty Trask Award, a prize honouring the best first novels by Commonwealth authors under 35.
Her second book, The Inheritance of Loss (2006), brought Desai international acclaim. Set in the Himalayas, the novel explores identity, cultural clashes, and the enduring effects of colonialism.
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It earned her the 2006 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award, making her the youngest woman at the time to win the Booker at age 35. Critics and readers alike celebrated her lyrical prose, nuanced characterisations, and the novel’s profound exploration of social and political themes.
Beyond her novels, Desai has made notable contributions to literary and cultural discussions. In 2008, she appeared on BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions, discussing her life and influences.
She was featured at the inaugural Asia House Festival of Cold Literature in 2007 and invited by the Gates Foundation in 2008 to report on the lives of sex workers in Andhra Pradesh, demonstrating her engagement with social issues.
Kiran Desai’s accolades extend beyond India. She received the Columbia University Medal for Excellence in 2009 and was awarded a Berlin Prize Fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin in 2013.
In 2015, The Economic Times listed her among the 20 most influential global Indian women, highlighting her impact on literature and society.
After a long hiatus from publishing, she announced in 2017 that she had been working for over a decade on a new novel focusing on themes of power and identity.
That work, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, is set to be published in the fall of 2025 by Hogarth, an imprint of Random House Publishing Group. The novel was longlisted earlier this year and has now earned a coveted place on the 2025 Booker Prize shortlist, confirming Desai’s continued relevance and mastery in contemporary literature.
