Perhaps the outlook for the new year feels unsettled, with conflicts abroad and political drama in the air, yet if readers choose to retreat into their rooms and open a window into imagination, books offer a refuge that never fails. 2025 promises a rich literary landscape: familiar names, emerging voices, and thoughtful articles that unpack how the world arrived at this moment.
Undeniably, one standout moment in 2025 was the posthumous publication of a celebrated novel by a writer who once shelved the manuscript. The work, which follows a mature woman’s sexual awakening as she visits her mother’s grave annually, arrived with global fanfare on March 6. It is set to become a worldwide publishing sensation and a milestone in contemporary fiction.
Another much-anticipated release comes from a renowned author whose mystery-thriller unfolds in Barcelona during 2022, weaving together a plot about former members of a secret society rooted in the Franco era. The author’s unmistakable voice and brisk, sometimes exaggerated style keep readers hooked as the story unfolds. Pure Mendoza’s contribution stands out for its bold approach to thriller storytelling.
classic and modern
In the realm of Spanish-language writing, a recent work by Luis Landero, celebrated for his Cervantine sensibility, revives autumnal romance through an amateur theater setting. Accompanying it is a novel by a groundbreaking author who bridges the late 1960s and present day, offering a lyrical exploration of memory and art. Meanwhile, a powerful narrative from Siruela—centering on the moment just before oblivion—brings together sharp social critique and intimate storytelling as Ana Rodríguez Fischer’s prose intertwines with José Ovejero’s reflections on living and dying, published by Galaxia Gutenberg.
Additionally, attention is drawn to a playful yet piercing series of fake interviews featuring a beardless figure imagined by Enrique Vila-Matas, published in a popular magazine. The imagined responses from icons such as Marlon Brando, Patricia Highsmith, José Antonio Bardem, and Anthony Burgess add a meta layer that delights readers who relish literary gamesmanship.
Latin American literature receives further spotlight with Rodrigo Fresán’s sprawling novel The Style of the Elements, alongside Mónica Ojeda’s Electric Shamans at the Festival of the Sun, both published by Random House. Other notable works include Metemppsychosis by Rodrigo Rey Rosa (Alfaguara) and a novel by Juan Pablo Villalobos that contemplates time and memory from a Mexican perspective.
Finally Murakami
There is speculation about whether 2025 will bring renewed recognition for Haruki Murakami, with hopes that a Nobel prize may finally fall his way. In the meantime, readers will look forward to The City and Its Obscure Walls from Tusquets, a six-year-labor-of-love novella filled with distinctive, addictive energy. Anything from What They Say or Nothing, revived by Cabaret Voltaire, to new material from Annie Ernaux—who continues to chart personal growth and memory—will fascinate devoted fans. The year also promises Maggie O’Farrell’s The Distance That Separates Us, a strong title from Asteroide / L’Altre, along with significant works by Tessa Hadley and Amélie Nothomb. For male authors, Georgi Gospodinov’s latest remains a must-read, and Impedimenta continues to offer thoughtful, imaginative releases. Additionally, a collection of stories by Chuck Palahniuk and a blend of humor and critique in Invention of Sound from Random House, alongside George Saunders’ masterfully crafted stories, are set to captivate readers seeking literary risk and wit.
Major anniversaries will also color the cultural year. The centenary of Franz Kafka’s death will bring reissues tied to Monika Zgustova’s interpretation of Kafka’s life, and a companion collection of aphorisms by Reiner Stach—biographer of Metamorphosis—will accompany reprints of celebrated Kafka titles. The bicentenary of Lord Byron’s death will bring a signed edition of a definitive biography by Fiona MacCarthy, while Edna O’Brian’s Byron in Love receives renewed attention. The 20th anniversary of the Atocha attack will cast a grave, timely light on headlines and literature about those events, with works like Voices from 11-M and investigative texts exploring the aftermath and its memory, reflecting on how literature intersects with national trauma.