Booker Prize 2026 13-name longlist

The Booker Prize Foundation published the 2026 longlist on July 28, naming 13 novels for this year’s award. The list was selected from 163 books written in English and published in the UK and/or Ireland between Oct. 1, 2025 and Sept. 30, 2026, according to the organizers. (thebookerprizes.com) Mary Beard, the classicist, writer and broadcaster who chairs the judging panel, said the selection “rewards risk.” The field includes established names, previous Booker winners and three debut novelists. ### Which writers are on the 2026 longlist? The Booker Prize website lists these 13 books on the 2026 longlist: *The Shadow of the Object* by Switzy Chia, *Helen of Nowhere* by Makenna Goodman, *The End of Everything* by M. (thebookerprizes.com) 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 and *The Vivisectors* by Missouri Williams, along with a 13th title, completing what organizers call the “Booker Dozen.” Marlon James, Douglas Stuart and Elizabeth Strout are among the best-known names on the list. (thebookerprizes.com) James won the Booker Prize in 2015 for *A Brief History of Seven Killings*, while Stuart won in 2020 for *Shuggie Bain*. Strout had previously been shortlisted, according to the Booker Prize Foundation. ### Why are organizers emphasizing “risk”? Mary Beard said the longlisted writers “brilliantly muster the power of words to take the reader to new places, to see old places from new angles, to change minds.” In the foundation’s release, organizers said the list spans humour, heartbreak, satire and surreality, and includes fresh takes on dystopian science fiction, the campus novel and the crime thriller. (thebookerprizes.com) The Booker Prize Foundation also said the 2026 longlist includes authors representing seven nationalities and three continents. The release said the group includes three debut novelists among 10 writers appearing on the Booker longlist for the first time. (thebookerprizes.com) ### How much of the list is newcomers versus established names? The 2026 field pairs repeat contenders with first-time longlistees. The Booker Prize Foundation said two previous winners made the list, and three debut novelists were included. It also highlighted a range of author backgrounds, including poets, playwrights, editors and critics, as well as writers with experience as a lawyer, fashion designer, child actor and competitive trampolinist. (thebookerprizes.com) Publishers Weekly reported that five of the longlisted authors are American and six are British. That breakdown underlined how heavily the list still draws from U.K. and U.S. publishing, even though eligibility is based on novels written in English and published in the U.K. and/or Ireland. (thebookerprizes.com) ### What makes this year’s list stand out? The Booker Prize Foundation said the longlist stretches from a debut by a 28-year-old writer to the 13th novel by an 81-year-old author. Organizers also said some writers on the list could become the first with Mexican or Turkish heritage to win the prize. (thebookerprizes.com) Booker materials accompanying the announcement have framed the longlist as unusually broad in tone and form. Separate features published by the foundation describe books that move across continents, periods and genres, and include extracts and judges’ notes for readers following the race before the shortlist is named. (publishersweekly.com) ### When is the next stage of the prize? The Booker Prize website says the shortlist of six books will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026 at a public event at the Southbank Centre in London. The event will feature all five judges in conversation, according to the organizers. The winner will receive £50,000, while each of the other shortlisted authors will receive £2,500. (thebookerprizes.com 1) (thebookerprizes.com 2) (thebookerprizes.com 3)