The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction has announced an all-British shortlist for the first time in its 17-year history, per mirror.co.uk.
Revealed on April 16 at Abbotsford, the ancestral home of Sir Walter Scott, the five-strong list includes Jo Harkin, Alice Jolly, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Rachel Seiffert and Benjamin Wood.
The selection was introduced via a video narrated by veteran broadcaster James Naughtie, marking a significant milestone for the prestigious literary award.
The 2026 finalists cover a diverse range of historical eras, from medieval England to 19th-century Scotland and the 20th-century origins of medical diagnoses. Jo Harkin’s The Pretender reimagines the life of Lambert Simnel, following his journey from a farm boy to a royal usurper. Judges described the work as a “fresh, bawdy novel” that balances historical conviction with humour.
Alice Jolly is shortlisted for The Matchbox Girl, a narrative set in a 1930s Austrian hospital during the rise of the Nazi regime. The novel examines the legacy of Dr Hans Asperger through the eyes of a young protagonist. The judging panel praised the work as a “moving tribute” and a sharp examination of the early stages of autism diagnosis.
Graeme Macrae Burnet’s Benbecula explores 19th-century Gothic themes in the Outer Hebrides. A psychological novella centred on a triple murder, the book was lauded as “claustrophobic crime at its very best.” The panel noted its stylistic influences from literary innovators such as Robert Louis Stevenson and James Hogg.
Rounding out the shortlist are works by Rachel Seiffert and Benjamin Wood. The finalists will now compete for the top honour, which recognises excellence in historical fiction published in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth.
Founded in 2010, the Walter Scott Prize is one of the UK’s most lucrative literary awards. It honours novels set at least 60 years in the past, echoing the timeframe of Scott’s own historical masterpiece, *Waverley*. This year’s shift to an exclusively British shortlist highlights a strong period for domestic historical storytelling within a global entry pool.
