Roddy Doyle joins Sarah Jessica Parker on Booker Prize 2025 judging panel

Parker, an avid reader who is also known for acting in Sex And The City, its spin-off  And Just Like That… as well as Hocus Pocus, has had her own literary imprint publisher for several years.

Booker Prize winner Doyle, who won the award in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, is the chairman of next year’s panel.

Doyle said: “For more than 40 years, I’ve been writing novels, or editing novels, or thinking about the next novel.

“For longer still – since my mother taught me how to read – I’ve filled hours of every day with novels, reading them, re-reading them, just gazing at them.

“’His head was never out of the books’ is two-thirds of my biography. So, to have licence to do little else but read the year’s best novels, to find the familiar in the unfamiliar, to examine the remarkable, unique things that great writers can do with the shared language, English – I can’t wait.

“I’m looking forward to working with a great panel of judges. I’ve never been in a book club before, but I think I’m probably joining a good one.”

We’re thrilled to reveal the #BookerPrize2025 judging panel.

Roddy Doyle will act as chair of judges, and will be joined by @ayobamiadebayo, @SJP, @chris_power and @kileyreid.https://t.co/gPp00XjFHL

— The Booker Prizes (@TheBookerPrizes) December 10, 2024

This year, British author Samantha Harvey became the first woman since 2019 to win the £50,000 (€60.5k) prize.

She won with the book Orbital, about astronauts looking down at Earth.

Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: “We’ve never before had three Booker authors on the panel.

“Roddy, the first past Booker winner to chair the judges, has already brought generosity, wit and calm to the process, and I have no doubt that he will draw together this stellar crowd as they seek the best fiction of the year.

“Ayobami and Kiley, both past long-listees and very different writers, are perfectly placed to identify a cohort following in their footsteps.

“I’ve long admired Chris’s acuity and taste, and have in recent months enjoyed sharing book recommendations with Sarah Jessica, who has passionately supported contemporary fiction for many years. I’m hugely looking forward to listening in.’

Earlier this year, Parker made her West End debut in Plaza Suite at the Savoy Theatre in London.

She starred alongside her husband, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off star Matthew Broderick in the romantic comedy play.

The couple holiday in Co Donegal and last year spent Christmas with her family in Ireland. In summer 2023 she also shared some of her favourite Irish produce on Instagram including Charleville cheese, Supervalu cabbage and Horgan’s Salami.

Parker’s imprint SJP Lit, part of publisher Zando, has seen Women And Children First by Alina Grabowski, A Quitter’s Paradise by Elysha Chang and Coleman Hill by Kim Coleman Foote published since 2022.

In 2016, it was also announced that she would bring out a line of books under the name SJP for Hogarth.

She has also produced the series Divorce, and movie Here And Now.

Judges for the Booker Prize have previously included Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh, The Sixth Sense star Olivia Williams and Jack Reacher creator Lee Child.

The 2025 shortlist will be revealed in September, and the winner announcement will follow in November.