International Booker shortlist dominated by women

The Booker Prize Foundation announced the 2026 International Booker Prize shortlist on March 31, with six books, five women authors and four women translators on the final list. The shortlist includes two debut novels and spans five original languages, according to the foundation. Daniel Kehlmann and Marie NDiaye are the best-known returning names on the list, joined by translators Ross Benjamin and Jordan Stump. The winner is due to be announced on May 19 at Tate Modern in London. ### Which books made the shortlist? The Booker Prize Foundation listed six finalists: *The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran* by Shida Bazyar, translated by Ruth Martin; *She Who Remains* by Rene Karabash, translated by Izidora Angel; *The Director* by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin; *On Earth As It Is Beneath* by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan; *The Witch* by Marie NDiaye, translated by Jordan Stump; and *Taiwan Travelogue* by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated by Lin King. (thebookerprizes.com) The books were translated from five original languages and represent authors and translators from eight nationalities across four continents, the foundation said. ### Why has the shortlist been described as dominated by women? The Booker Prize Foundation said five of the six shortlisted authors are women and four of the six translators are women. Scroll, in an overview published on May 16 and crawled on May 17, described the shortlist as “dominated by women writers” and said the list opened “a portal to new worlds.” (thebookerprizes.com) Natasha Brown, chair of the 2026 judging panel, said the shortlisted books contain narratives that “reverberate with history” and include “hope, insight and burning humanity,” according to the foundation’s press release. Brown chaired a panel that also included Marcus du Sautoy, Sophie Hughes, Troy Onyango and Nilanjana S. Roy. (thebookerprizes.com) ### Which shortlisted writers and translators stand out to general readers? Daniel Kehlmann appears on the shortlist with *The Director*, translated from German by Ross Benjamin. Marie NDiaye appears with *The Witch*, translated from French by Jordan Stump. The shortlist also includes two debut novels, a detail highlighted by the Booker Prize Foundation in its March 31 announcement. (thebookerprizes.com) Scroll’s coverage singled out Kehlmann and NDiaye as established names on a list that otherwise mixes newer voices with widely translated authors. The foundation’s background page also said the shortlist includes a previously shortlisted author-translator pairing, though it did not elevate that point above the full six-book list. (thebookerprizes.com) ### What kind of fiction is on this year’s list? The Booker Prize Foundation said the shortlisted novels range from Japan-ruled Taiwan in the 1930s to Nazi Germany and the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Its shortlist materials describe characters including a suburban witch, a bloodthirsty prison warden, a sworn virgin and a young novelist paired with an interpreter through a shared love of food. (scroll.in) Scroll said the six books offer readers “new worlds,” while its separate shortlist coverage has run excerpts and essays on individual nominees including *The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran*, *She Who Remains* and *On Earth As It Is Beneath*. Those articles identify the original publication histories and translation credits for several of the shortlisted works. (thebookerprizes.com) ### Where can readers find the full shortlist and translator credits? The Booker Prizes website has a dedicated 2026 prize page and shortlist features naming all six books, authors and translators. Scroll has also published a full overview of the shortlist and a separate article with opening lines from each shortlisted novel. The winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize will be announced on Tuesday, May 19, at Tate Modern in London, and the annual shortlisted authors-and-translators reading took place in Bristol on May 15, according to the Booker Prize Foundation. (scroll.in) Each shortlisted title receives £5,000, split equally between author and translator, Scroll reported. (thebookerprizes.com 1) (thebookerprizes.com 2)