Booker Prize unveils 2026 longlist

Selected from 163 submissions, the longlist includes 13 nominated books, namely The Shadow of the Object by Chloe Aridjis, Switzy by Emma Cline, Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman, The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, The Disappearers by Marlon James, Black Bag by Luke Kennard, The Renovation by Kenan Orhan, May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, John of John by Douglas Stuart, All Them Dogs by Djamel White, and The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams.

The list includes two previous winners: Scottish-American author Douglas Stuart, who won in 2020 with his novel Shuggie Bain, and Jamaican writer Marlon James, who received the prize in 2015 for A Brief History of Seven Killings. Additionally, the list features authors from seven countries: Jamaica, Mexico, Turkey, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the United States.

According to the Booker Prize Foundation, the 2026 judging panel is chaired by Mary Beard and includes Raymond Antrobus, Jarvis Cocker, Rebecca Liu, and Patricia Lockwood.

The shortlist will be announced on September 22, with the winner to be revealed on November 9. The winning author will receive £50,000, while each shortlisted writer will receive £2,500.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that reading on paper might offer cognitive advantages over digital devices, according to a new Japanese study that found readers required less mental effort to understand and integrate information later on.