International Booker winner announced May 19

The Booker Prize Foundation is due to announce the winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize on Tuesday, May 19, at Tate Modern in London. The award honors a single work of fiction translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, with the £50,000 prize split equally between author and translator. (thebookerprizes.com) The six-book shortlist was unveiled on March 31 after judges reviewed 128 novels and short-story collections over eight months and first cut the field to a 13-title longlist. (thebookerprizes.com) The foundation says the 2026 list spans five original languages and eight nationalities. (thebookerprizes.com) Tuesday’s ceremony comes in the prize’s 10th year in its current form. The Booker Prizes website says the result will be streamed from 10:05 p.m. BST on its YouTube, Instagram and TikTok accounts. ### Which six books are still in contention? The Booker Prizes website lists the finalists as *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 1) (thebookerprizes.com 2) Each shortlisted title has already earned £5,000, divided equally between author and translator, according to the foundation. The winning pair will receive the remaining share of the £50,000 award. (thebookerprizes.com) ### How was this year’s shortlist described by the judges? Natasha Brown, who chairs the 2026 judging panel, said the shortlisted books “reverberate with history” and range across the past century. The Booker Prizes site says the panel also includes Marcus du Sautoy, Sophie Hughes, Troy Onyango and Nilanjana S. Roy. The foundation said five of the six shortlisted authors and four of the six translators are women. (thebookerprizes.com) Publishers Weekly reported the 2026 award is the 10th annual iteration of the prize in its current format. ### What does the prize cover, exactly? (thebookerprizes.com) The International Booker Prize is awarded to long-form fiction or short-story collections translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland during the eligibility window. The Booker Prizes site says the award is intended to recognize both the author and the translator, with the money shared equally. The 2026 prize is supported by Bukhman Philanthropies, according to the official prize pages. (thebookerprizes.com) The foundation has framed the award as a showcase for translated fiction from around the world. ### Where can readers follow the result on May 19? (lithub.com) The Booker Prize Foundation says the winner will be announced at a ceremony and dinner at Tate Modern in London on Tuesday evening. The result is scheduled to be livestreamed on the organization’s YouTube, Instagram and TikTok channels. The Booker Prizes homepage says readers can also find the shortlisted books, author and translator profiles, and event details on the foundation’s website ahead of the announcement. (bookreporter.com) The next milestone is the May 19 winner reveal from London. (thebookerprizes.com) (thebookerprizes.com)