‘And Just Like That’ she’s a Booker Prize judge: Sarah Jessica Parker nabs literary gig

There’s an unexpected name joining the ranks of Booker Prize judges, but she’s not an unfamiliar force in publishing – you’ve probably even seen this book ally reading across TV on “And Just Like That.”

Sarah Jessica Parker will sit alongside four authors on the 2025 Booker Prize judging panel, the Booker Prize Foundation announced Tuesday.

This is far from the “Sex and the City” star’s first rodeo in the book arena, but it is her most ambitious. Parker launched her imprint, “SJP Lit,” last year through independent publisher Zando and was previously the editorial director of another, “SJP for Hogarth.”

“Even when I went into publishing, I felt very nervous about people taking me seriously. I felt like an interloper, and that I was constantly in a position of having to prove myself,” Parker told The New York Times. “So to be a judge on the Booker, which is the greatest literary award bestowed — it felt very daunting.”

Sarah Jessica Parker is ready to ‘listen a lot’ on Booker Prize judge panel

Parker grew up in a household of readers, she told The Times – her mother used to drive with a book in her lap, sneaking in a few sentences at red lights.

Parker’s love of books continues that legacy: “When they are changing the lens” she captioned one of her Instagram photos that showed her reading on a film set. The props team on "And Just Like That" compiled 120 books for Carrie Bradshaw's bookshelves from a list curated by SJP herself. You can often find her posting about recent reads on social media.

And this year, she’ll likely have to read as many as 170 titles, helped by a break in filming commitments.

“Oh let me try!!!!” she commented on a 2022 Instagram post from the Foundation titled “What is it really like to be a Booker Prize Judge?”

What is the Booker Prize?

Founded in the U.K., the Booker Prize is a prestigious annual literary award given to what judges deem the single best work of fiction written in the English language. The Foundation will announce a “Booker Dozen” of 12 or 13 books in July, a six-title shortlist in September and the 2025 winner in November. Winning titles receive £50,000 (about $63,000).

The winner of this year’s Booker Prize was “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey, a literary science fiction novel that tells the stories of six astronauts circling the Earth in 24 hours.

Booker judges are typically academics or authors themselves, a fact that Parker is well aware of.

“I’m just going to listen a lot. That’s the way I’ve probably created a career outside of acting: just being surrounded by people who are expert and listening, listening, listening,” Parker told The Times.

Parker's admission to the Booker judging panel reflects a trendy new marriage between pop culture and literature – in the last decade, celebrity book imprints and book clubs have been on the rise.

Kiley Reid, Roddy Doyle and others round out 2025 judges

This is the first time the Booker has had three winning or nominated authors on its panel, according to the Foundation. Rounding out the judges are 1993 winner Roddy Doyle, writer, broadcaster and literary critic Chris Power and Booker Prize-longlisted authors Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Kiley Reid.

Irish writer Doyle has penned 13 novels, including his Booker Prize-winning novel “Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha” and "The Commitments," of which he also co-wrote the screenplay. He is the first previous winner to chair the panel.

Adébáyọ̀ is the author of “Stay with Me” and “A Spell of Good Things,” longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize.

In addition to his novel “A Lonely Man” and short story collection “Mothers,” Power was a regular presenter of BBC Radio 4’s “Open Book” and has vast literary judging experience.

Reid’s “Such a Fun Age” was longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize. Her second novel “Come and Get It,” was named one of the best books of 2024 by the New Yorker, NPR, Elle and Vulture.

Looking for your next great read? USA TODAY has you covered.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sarah Jessica Parker is one of five judges for 2025 Booker Prize