International Booker Prize 2026 Longlist Reveals Thirteen Contenders
The International Booker Prize has announced its 2026 longlist, comprising thirteen exceptional works of translated fiction. This prestigious award, now in its tenth year, celebrates the finest translated literature published over the past twelve months, with a grand prize of £50,000 to be shared equally between the winning author and translator.
Notable Authors and Intriguing Themes
Among the longlisted authors are Olga Ravn, Daniel Kehlmann, Ia Genberg, Mathias Énard, and Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, all of whom have previously been shortlisted for the prize. German author Daniel Kehlmann is recognised for The Director, translated by Ross Benjamin, a novel inspired by the life of film-maker GW Pabst, who collaborated with the Third Reich. A Guardian review praised it as Kehlmann's best work, noting its dark, ambiguous, and unsettling qualities reminiscent of a modern Grimms' fairytale.
Danish writer Olga Ravn makes the list with The Wax Child, translated by Martin Aitken, a visceral tale delving into real-life 17th-century Danish witch trials. Witchcraft also features in French author Marie NDiaye's The Witch, translated by Jordan Stump, originally published in 1996. NDiaye has a history with the prize, having been longlisted in 2016 and shortlisted in 2013.
Banned Books and Historical Contexts
Another compelling entry is Women Without Men by Iranian writer Shahrnush Parsipur, translated by Faridoun Farrokh. Published in Persian in 1989, the book has been banned in Iran since its release. Parsipur faced imprisonment for five years in the 1980s and was jailed again shortly after publishing this novel, which follows five women from diverse backgrounds living together in a garden near Tehran.
Swedish author Ia Genberg is longlisted for Small Comfort, translated by Kira Josefsson, a collection of five interconnected stories. Mathias Énard appears with The Deserters, translated by Charlotte Mandell, marking the 17th International Booker nomination for Fitzcarraldo, the most-nominated imprint in the prize's history.
Debut Writers and Independent Publishers
The longlist highlights three debut writers: German author Shida Bazyar with The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran, translated by Ruth Martin; Italian author Matteo Melchiorre with The Duke, translated by Antonella Lettieri; and Bulgarian writer Rene Karabash with She Who Remains, translated by Izidora Angel, published by independent press Peirene Press. Karabash's novel tells the story of a woman who avoids an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin.
Argentinian writer Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is nominated for We Are Green and Trembling, translated by Robin Myers, which won the US National Book Award for translated literature last year. Completing the list are The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje, translated by David McKay; On Earth As It Is Beneath by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan; and Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King.
Judges' Insights and Prize Details
Judging chair and novelist Natasha Brown remarked that many submitted books explored the devastating consequences of war, reflected in the longlist. She noted the diversity of themes, including petty neighbourly squabbles, mysterious villages, big pharma conspiracies, witchy women, ill-fated lovers, haunted prisons, and obscure film references. Brown highlighted the range in page counts from 'pocket-friendly' to 'doorstopper', and while the original publication dates span four decades, each story feels fresh and innovative.
The shortlist of six books will be announced on 31 March 2026, with each shortlisted title receiving £5,000, split equally between author and translator. The winner will be revealed on 19 May 2026 at a ceremony at Tate Modern in London. Joining Brown on the judging panel are mathematician Marcus du Sautoy, translator Sophie Hughes, and writers Troy Onyango and Nilanjana S Roy.
Record Submissions and Historical Significance
Selected from 128 titles published in the UK or Ireland between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026, this year's submissions were originally written in a record total of 34 languages. Booker Prize Foundation chief executive Gaby Wood suggested this indicates translated works from an ever-broader range of languages are increasingly available to anglophone readers.
Last year's winner, Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi, was the first short story collection to win the award. Previous winners include Han Kang, Olga Tokarczuk, and Georgi Gospodinov. Wood noted that four authors recognised by the prize for a single book have gone on to win the Nobel Prize for their body of work: Han, Tokarczuk, Jon Fosse, and László Krasznahorkai.
