List of International Booker Prize Winners [2005 – 2025]

The International Booker Award 2025 Longlist (a series of works of individuals, books or awards being considered, will determine the last list of the most worthy candidates. Be prepared to dig deep into stories about displacement, disability, history and even some speculative novels. Principal Max Porter said that translating novels is not only a specific group, but also a way everyone can connect through stories, no matter where they come from.

The list is full of books that will keep you thinking and keep entertained. They cover various topics such as survival, history, social problems and human resilience, and they are all told in unique and interesting ways.

➡️Full list of discovery: https://t.co/il8s162f8l pic.twitter.com/snlheinsws

– Booker Prize (@TheBookerPriess) February 25, 2025

The Origins of the International Booker Award, Celebrating Global Literature Excellence

Since its founding in 2005, the International Booker Award has been a beacon of recognition for outstanding novelists and translators around the world. This prestigious literary honor is awarded a book every year, which has been translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland, showing the richness of storytelling around the world.

The evolution of prizes

Originally, International Booker was an award at the Biennale, celebrating the author’s entire work, not a book. There is no limit to the original language of the work, allowing literary idols such as Alice Munro, Lydia Davis and Philip Roth to join the past winners, as well as international legends such as Ismail Kadare and Lászlókraszlókrasznahorkai.

However, in 2015, the award underwent a major turnaround, consistent with the Booker English Novel Award. It shifts its focus to a translated book, recognizing not only the author but also the key contributions of translators in bringing diverse literary voices to audiences around the world.

Awards for authors and translations

One of the most unique aspects of the International Booker Award is its equal recognition of authors and translators. The £50,000 bonus is distributed evenly between the two to ensure that the art of translation receives the honor it deserves. In addition, each shortlisted writer and translator received a reward of £2,500, further encouraging cross-cultural exchange through literature.

By focusing on extraordinary works from around the world, the International Booker Awards have become a powerful force in breaking language barriers and enriching the global literary landscape.

Recently, Geetanjali Shree won the International Booker Award in 2022 and Georgi Gostodinov won the International Booker Award in 2023 and 2024.

Selection process and schedule

Each year, the process follows a structured timeline:

  • March: Announced long list (12-13 books)
  • April: Announced shortlist (six books)
  • May: Winners’ announcement

lifetime

Year

winner

The whole work

2005

Ismail Kadare

Lifetime Achievement

2007

Chinua Achebe

Lifetime Achievement

2009

Alice Munro

Lifetime Achievement

2011

Philip Roth

Lifetime Achievement

2013

Lydia Davis

Lifetime Achievement

2015

LászlóKrasznahorkai

Lifetime Achievement

From 2005 to 2015, the Booker International Awards are awarded by the entire work of the writer rather than a specific book. Since 2016, it has become an award for individual translation works.

List of winners from the International Booker Awards from 2016 to 2025

Year

winner

Book

Translator

2016

Hankang

Vegetarian

N/A.

2017

David Grossman

A horse walks into the bar

N/A.

2018

Olga Tokarczuk

flight

N/A.

2019

Jokha Alharthi

Celestial body

Marilyn Booth

2020

Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

Discomfort at night

Michele Hutchison

2021

David Diop

All the blood at night is black

Anna Moschovakis

2022

Geetanjali Shree

Sand Tomb

Daisy Rockwell

2023

Georgi Gostodinov

Time shelter

Angela Rodel

2024

Alhierd Bacharevič

Aldaka’s children

Jim Dingley and Petra Reid

2025

To be announced

To be announced

To be announced

2025 International Booker Award Long List

propose #InternationalBooker2025 Long line.

Learn more about all books, authors and translations: https://t.co/il8s162f8l pic.twitter.com/inryqbx8j8

– Booker Prize (@TheBookerPriess) February 25, 2025

title

author

Original language

translate

Missing book

Ibtisam Azem

Arab

Southwest Antoon

About Calculation Volume

Solvej Balle

Danish

Barbara J. Haveland

There is a monster behind the door

Gaëlle Bélem

French

Karen Fleetwood, Laëtitia

Solenoid valve

mirceacărtărescu

Romanians

Sean Cotter

Reservoir bits

Dalia de la Zelda

Spanish

Heather Cleary, Julia Sanches

boat

Vincent Delecroix

French

Helen Stevenson

hunchback

Saou Ichikawa

Japanese

Polly Barton

In front of the big bird

Hiromi Kawakami

Japanese

asa Yoneda

Eurotrash

Christian Kracht

German

Daniel Bowles

Perfect

Vincenzo Latronico

Italian

Sophie Hughes

Heart lamp

Banu Mushtaq

Kannada

Deepa Bhasthi

On the madness of a woman

Astrid Roemer

Netherlands

Lucy Scott

Leopard print hat

Anne Sere

French

Mark Hutchinson

in conclusion

The International Booker Prize 2025 long list demonstrates the power of literature to cross cultural boundaries and provides new perspectives for universal human emotions. With its various themes, unique storytelling methods, and deep narratives, this choice offers something for every reader. As Max Porter said, these books are for everyone – everyone’s story, everyone. Whether you are attracted to survival stories, speculative novels, or intimate personal narratives, this list provides a window into the world through the eyes of a storyteller.