Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

McConaghy longlisted for 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction

Thursday, 5 March 2026   Books+Publishing
@booksandpublishing

Local author Charlotte McConaghy is on the longlist for this year’s UK-based Women’s Prize for Fiction.

McConachy’s Wild Dark Shore (Penguin) “expertly conveys the awe-inspiring majesty of the extreme climate and terrain of a fictional island bursting with rich and remarkable natural life,” said Books+Publishing’s reviewer. “The novel’s environmental themes are a highlight, particularly the discussions around the impact of climate change on our homes and the difficult choices we face in preserving what matters most.”

The other 15 longlisted books are:

  • Gloria Don’t Speak (Lucy Apps, Weatherglass Books)
  • Paradiso 17 (Hannah Lillith Assadi, Fourth Estate)
  • Moderation (Elaine Castillo, Atlantic Books)
  • Flashlight (Susan Choi, Vintage)
  • Dominion (Addie E Citchens, Europa Editions)
  • The Benefactors (Wendy Erskine, Sceptre)
  • The Correspondent (Virginia Evans, Michael Joseph)
  • The Mercy Step (Marcia Hutchinson, Cassava Republic Press)
  • The Others (Sheena Kalayil, Fly on the Wall Press)
  • Kingfisher (Rozie Kelly, Saraband)
  • Heart the Lover (Lily King, Canongate)
  • Audition (Katie Kitamura, Fern Press)
  • A Guardian and a Thief (Megha Majumdar, Scribner)
  • The Best of Everything (Kit de Waal, Tinder Press)
  • A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing (Alice Evelyn Yang, Dead Ink)

The announcement described the finalists as an “expansive list that showcases the profound force, resonance and scale of fiction writing”. Of the 16 titles, 9 are from independent publishers and 7 are debuts

Chair of judges and former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard said, “Across a longlist that is international in both scope and setting, these 16 books masterfully demonstrate the power of fiction to examine the messy business of being human. From climate change to artificial intelligence, they navigate the issues of our time with urgency and purpose, they immerse us in environments and experiences that are sometimes like our own, but more often are radically different, and they explore identities and perspectives that are often ignored or forgotten, amidst those inherently universal and recognisable.”

A shortlist of 6 will be announced on 22 April 2026, with the winner to be revealed on 11 June.

Last year’s winner was Yael van der Wouden for The Safekeep (Penguin General).

More details about the 2026 longlist are on the prize website.

 

Category: Awards Local news