Misinterpretation nominated for the Booker Prize 2025

Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga has been longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025. Misinterpretation, Xhoga’s debut, was previously awarded the New York City Book Award for outstanding debut author, and is one of only two debut novels featured on the longlist this year. The Booker judges said of Misinterpretation:

‘A Kosovan torture survivor requests translation assistance at his therapy sessions. Our narrator, a nameless translator, reluctantly agrees. But Alfred’s account of his experiences conjures hidden memories that seep into her psyche, forcing her to question her marriage and her place in the world. This is a story of a woman saddled between her Albanian past and her New York present. It explores the way that language is kept in our bodies, how it can reveal truths we aren’t ready to hear. Misinterpretation subtly blurs the distinction between help and harm. We found it propulsive, unsettling, and strangely human.’ 

Misinterpretation is the third Booker-nominated novel published by Daunt Books Originals, following Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, longlisted in 2024, and Real Life by Brandon Taylor, shortlisted in 2020.