India, Sept. 24 -- Author Kiran Desai is back in the literary spotlight, shortlisted for the Booker Prize for the first time in 19 years. Her latest novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, has been described by the judges as a "vast and immersive" tale exploring the lives of two young Indians navigating love and life in America.

This will be her second time on the stage since the 53-year-old Delhi-born author first won the prestigious Booker in 2006 for The Inheritance of Loss. Joining six writers from across the globe on this year's coveted shortlist, Desai's newest work stands out as her longest novel yet, clocking in at 667 pages and published by Hamish Hamilton.

"An intimate and expansive epic about two people finding a pathway to...