Booker Prize 2026 shortlist revealed with six novels

The six books were chosen from a 13-title longlist, known as the Booker Dozen, which itself was selected from 163 submissions. The prize is open to works of long-form fiction written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.

The shortlisted authors include former Booker Prize winners Marlon James, who won in 2015, and Douglas Stuart, who won in 2020. Three-time Booker nominee Elizabeth Strout has also returned to the shortlist.

The winner will be announced on November 9 at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London. The winner will receive £50,000, while each shortlisted author will receive £2,500.

The shortlisted novels

The End of Everything by M. John Harrison

Harrison's novel blends elements of thriller, mystery, dystopia, satire and road fiction. It follows an unusual relationship against a bleak and unsettling backdrop, exploring themes including the climate crisis, the aftermath of Brexit and the growing presence of artificial intelligence. The judges also highlighted its dark, surreal humor and inventive use of overheard dialogue.

The Disappearers by Marlon James

Set in Jamaica in the late 1980s and early 1990s, James's novel follows eight men against the backdrop of the golden era of reggae and dancehall. It examines survival and identity while drawing on Jamaica's cultural and literary history. The story combines realism with shifting voices, humor and literary references.

Black Bag by Luke Kennard

Kennard's comic campus novel centers on a struggling actor who agrees to participate in a psychology experiment in which he attends university classes concealed inside a large black leather bag. Inspired by a real 1960s experiment, the novel uses its absurd premise to explore identity, masculinity, sexuality, technology and the commercialisation of life.

May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry

Perry's novel moves between the present day and a medieval royal court. A museum curator researching an obscure king gradually becomes immersed in questions about how history is recorded and reconstructed. The novel examines power, historical memory and the uncertainty of competing accounts of the past, while its reluctant king is portrayed as a man more interested in gardening than ruling.

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

Set around the 2024 US presidential election, Strout's novel follows Artie Dam, a high school history teacher navigating family life and a changing America. The judges praised the book for addressing political and social divisions without becoming a conventional political novel. Through an ordinary man's experiences, it explores how wider changes in American society affect individuals and communities.

John of John by Douglas Stuart

Set on a remote fictional Scottish island in the 1980s, Stuart's novel focuses on the complicated relationship between a father and son living in a tightly controlled community. The story explores family, repression, shame, masculinity and the impact of economic and social change. The judges praised its detailed depiction of island life and its slow-building narrative, alongside moments of tenderness and hope.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a book telling the story of Punch is set to be released in Japan.