The Booker Prize 2026 longlist has been revealed, featuring 13 novels by authors representing seven nationalities across three continents, selected from a total of 163 submissions.
The selection, announced on July 28, encompasses works published in the UK and Ireland between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026.
This year’s longlist includes a mix of debut writers and established authors, featuring two previous winners, three former nominees, a debut novel by a 28-year-old author, and the 13th novel by an 81-year-old writer.
The longlisted titles and their respective authors are:
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
The Vivisectors by Missouri Williams
Judging the 2026 prize are Raymond Antrobus, Patricia Lockwood, Rebecca Liu, Jarvis Cocker, and Chair of the judges Mary Beard.
Beard stated that the longlist offers “something for everyone,” highlighting the varied geography and settings of the works, which range from Mexico and Ireland to post-apocalyptic Britain and coastal Massachusetts. The books span multiple genres, including dystopian science fiction, historical drama, crime thrillers, and campus fiction.
Context Paragraph: The Booker Prize is widely regarded as the leading literary award for a single work of fiction written in English and published in the UK or Ireland. The announcement of the longlist, traditionally referred to as the “Booker Dozen,” marks the first stage in determining the eventual winner of the annual prize.
°Featured image: The Booker Prize 2026 longlist © Yuki Sugiura for Booker Prize Foundation