The 2026 longlist for the 2026 International Booker Prize has been announced and 13 books made the cut.
The 13 books were chosen from 128 books that were submitted by publishers. In order to qualify for this award, the works can be either long-fiction or a collection of short stories. They also have to be translated int English and have to be published in the UK and/or Ireland between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026.
This is quite a list of nominees and celebrates the best international works. Many of these books won’t cross many people’s radar which is why this award is important. Now, many people will be checking out all of these books even if they don’t win.
Over the years, I have tried to read more international books. What I have found is that these books are different from what I normally consume and it feels like exploiting new formats and stories I otherwise wouldn’t. You can see the full list of nominees below!
The 2026 International Booker Prize 2026 Longlist
- Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, Translated by Lin King
- The Wax Child by Olga Ravn, Translated by Martin Aitken
- Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, Translated by Faridoun Farrokh
- The Witch by Marie NDiaye,Translated by Jordan Stump
- The Duke by Matteo Melchiorre, Translated by Antonella Lettieri
- On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, Translated by Padma Viswanathan
- The Director by Daniel Kehlmann, Translated by Ross Benjamin
- She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, Translated by Izidora Angel
- Small Comfort by Ia Genberg, Translated by Kira Josefsson
- The Deserters by Mathias Énard, Translated by Charlotte Mandell
- The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, Translated by David McKay
- We Are Green and Trembling by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, Translated by Robin Myers
- The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran by Shida Bazyar, Translated by Ruth Martin
The winner of The International Booker Prize receives the £50,000 prize money divided equally between the winning author and translator. On March 31, the shortlist will be announced and each title will be awarded £5,000. The prize will be divided equally between the authors and translators.
I will be checking out many of these books and can’t wait to see which books make the shortlist. How many of these books have you read or plan to read? Let us know in the comments below!