Orwell Prize shortlists eight nonfiction

The Orwell Foundation published the finalists for its 2026 book prizes on Friday, naming 16 books across Political Writing and Political Fiction. Eight nonfiction titles and eight novels made the shortlists, according to the foundation’s announcement. The prizes are awarded annually to work that meets George Orwell’s ambition “to make political writing into an art,” the foundation says. (orwellfoundation.com) Winners are due to be announced on June 25 at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. (orwellfoundation.com) ### Which books made the nonfiction shortlist? Sam Dalrymple’s “Shattered Lands” was among the eight books shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, the nonfiction category. (orwellfoundation.com) The foundation’s finalists page also lists Karen Bartlett’s “The Escape From Kabul,” Omer Bartov’s “Israel: What Went Wrong?,” Fatemeh Jamalpour and Nilo Tabrizy’s “For the Sun After Long Nights,” Andrey Kurkov’s “Three Years on Fire,” Ben Macintyre’s “The Siege,” Nicolas Niarchos’s “The Elements of Power,” and Antonia Senior’s “Stalin’s Apostles.” The Orwell Foundation’s page for “Shattered Lands” describes the book as a history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that turned one imperial territory into 12 modern states. (orwellfoundation.com) Other shortlisted nonfiction books examine subjects including the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the war in Ukraine, Israeli history, Chinese online life, Cold War espionage and the global contest over battery metals. ### Which novels were shortlisted for Political Fiction? Ben Lerner’s “Transcription” and Douglas Stuart’s “John of John” were among the eight novels shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, according to the foundation and books industry coverage. The full fiction list also includes Susan Choi’s “Flashlight,” Eloghosa Osunde’s “Necessary Fiction,” Echeruo’s “The Comfort of Distant Stars,” Yi-Ling Liu’s “The Wall Dancers,” Daniyal Mueenuddin’s “This Is Where the Serpent Lives,” and Liadan Ní Chuinn’s “Every One Still Here.” (orwellfoundation.com) The eight fiction finalists span themes including migration, technology, religion, secrecy and political violence, according to the foundation’s finalists page and bookseller listings tied to the shortlist announcement. (orwellfoundation.com) ### When were the finalists announced? Friday, May 15, 2026, was the date given in the Orwell Foundation’s news release announcing the finalists. The foundation’s main 2026 prize page and finalists page were both updated to reflect the shortlist and the June ceremony date. That date matters because some secondary reports described the shortlists as being published “today” on May 18. (orwellfoundation.com) The foundation’s own announcement shows the finalists were made public three days earlier, on May 15. ### What do the judges say they were looking for? Rohan Silva, chair of the judges for the Political Writing prize, said the panel returned to “clarity of prose and unflinching intellectual bravery” in assessing the books, according to Five Books, which published the judges’ comments. The shortlisted nonfiction books, he said, ranged across subjects from the partition of India to current conflicts. (orwellfoundation.com) The Orwell Foundation said the finalists across both categories represent a wide range of voices, geographies and political perspectives. That description appeared in the foundation’s May 15 announcement of the 16 finalists. (orwellfoundation.com) ### What happens next in the prize calendar? June 25, 2026, is the next key date for the book prizes. The Orwell Foundation said winners of the Political Writing and Political Fiction awards will be announced at the Prize Ceremony at the Bloomsbury Theatre, University College London, as part of UCL’s bicentenary year. (orwellfoundation.com 1) (orwellfoundation.com 2) (fivebooks.com)