Aw, who has previously won the Whitbread and Commonwealth Prizes for his work, stands to win £50,000 (RM283,000) if he brings home the Booker. The 53-year-old is also the recipient of an O Henry Award.

Raised in Malaysia and educated in England, Aw’s literary works examine changes in his home soil over the past 100 years and have been translated into over 20 languages.

His novels “The Harmony Silk Factory” and “Five Star Billionaire” were also previously longlisted for the prize.

On “The South”, judges said: “To call it a coming-of-age novel nearly misses its expanse – this is a story about heritage, the Asian financial crisis, and the relationship between one family and the land.”

Aw was born in Taipei to Malaysian parents and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. In 2018, he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from his alma mater, the University of Warwick.

In 2023, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Fellow semifinalists this year include India’s Kiran Desai, as well as British author Andrew Miller and British-Hungarian David Szalay.

For the first time, the shortlist of six books will be announced at a public event to be held at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London. The winning book will be announced on Nov 10.

Learn more about the 2025 Booker Prize longlist here.