International Booker Prize 2026 shortlist announced
In the UK, the shortlist for the 2026 International Booker Prize, worth £50,000 (A$95,811), has been announced.
The shortlisted titles are:
- The Director (Daniel Kehlmann, trans by Ross Benjamin, riverrun)
- The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran (Shida Bazyar, trans by Ruth Martin, Scribe)
- On Earth as It Is Beneath (Ana Paula Maia, trans by Padma Viswanathan, Charco Press)
- She Who Remains (Rene Karabash, trans by Izidora Angel, Peirene Press)
- Taiwan Travelogue (Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, trans by Lin King, And Other Stories)
- The Witch (Marie NDiaye, trans by Jordan Stump, MacLehose Press).
This year’s shortlist of 6 titles was selected from a longlist of 13 and a total of 128 books submitted by publishers. The winner will be announced on 19 May at a ceremony at Tate Modern in London.
Natasha Brown, chair of judges, said, “With narratives that capture moments from across the past century, these books reverberate with history. While there’s heartbreak, brutality and isolation among these stories, their lasting effect is energising.”
The shortlist is made up of authors and translators representing 8 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Taiwan, the UK and the US) and 4 continents: Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Five of the authors and 4 of the translators are women.
The International Booker Prize is awarded to a book translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland. The prize money is shared equally between the winning writer and translator, and each shortlisted writer and translator also receives £2500 (A$4790) each.
Last year’s prize was awarded to Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi (Scribe), the first collection of short stories to win the award.
Category: International news
