International Booker shortlist
The 2026 International Booker Prize shortlist was revealed today — six translated novels make the list, including works by Marie NDiaye, Yáng Shuāng‑zǐ and Daniel Kehlmann. The judges praised a list that “reverberates with history,” women dominate the shortlist, and the winner will be announced May 19 at Tate Modern in London. ( )
The full six-book shortlist names Shida Bazyar’s The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran (tr. Ruth Martin), Rene Karabash’s She Who Remains (tr. Izidora Angel), Daniel Kehlmann’s The Director (tr. Ross Benjamin), Ana Paula Maia’s On Earth As It Is Beneath (tr. Padma Viswanathan), Marie NDiaye’s The Witch (tr. Jordan Stump) and Yáng Shuāng‑zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue (tr. Lin King). (thebookerprizes.com)) The English editions are spread across independent presses and major houses: Graywolf Press publishes Taiwan Travelogue, Charco Press handles On Earth As It Is Beneath, Scribe publishes The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran, Sandorf/Peirene released She Who Remains, Simon & Schuster carries The Director, and Penguin Random House lists The Witch. (graywolfpress.org)) Five of the six shortlisted authors are women and four of the six translators are women, with the books originally written in five languages and representing authors and translators from eight countries across four continents. (thebookerprizes.com)) Two of the shortlisted titles are debuts in English translation (The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran; She Who Remains) and one title on the list was first published in its original language roughly 30 years ago, a span the judges highlighted when explaining the list’s historical reach. (thebookerprizes.com)) The prize structure remains the same for 2026: the winning author and translator share a £50,000 award, and each shortlisted author and translator receive a £2,500 share of a £5,000 award for their title. (thebookerprizes.com)) Two author–translator pairings on this year’s shortlist have prior International Booker recognition—Daniel Kehlmann and Ross Benjamin were shortlisted in 2020, and Marie NDiaye with Jordan Stump were longlisted in 2016—while translator Ruth Martin was longlisted in 2020. (thebookerprizes.com)) The 2026 shortlist was selected from 128 books submitted by publishers for works published in the U.K. or Ireland between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026, according to the Booker Foundation’s eligibility window. (thebookerprizes.com))
