International Booker names six finalists spanning five languages

The Booker Prize Foundation announced the six-book shortlist for the 2026 International Booker Prize on March 31, narrowing a field of 128 submitted titles to finalists translated from five original languages. The list includes books by authors and translators representing eight nationalities across four continents, according to the prize organizers. Five of the six shortlisted authors are women, as are four of the six translators, the foundation said. The winner of the £50,000 prize will be named on Tuesday, May 19, at Tate Modern in London, with the money divided equally between author and translator. ### Which six books made the final list? The six shortlisted titles are *The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran* by Shida Bazyar, translated from German by Ruth Martin; *She Who Remains* by Rene Karabash, translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel; *The Director* by Daniel Kehlmann, translated from German by Ross Benjamin; *On Earth As It Is Beneath* by Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan; *The Witch* by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump; and *Taiwan Travelogue* by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King. (thebookerprizes.com) The Booker Prizes website lists those six as the 2026 finalists. The March 31 announcement followed a 13-book longlist, organizers said. Eligibility covered works of long-form fiction or short-story collections translated into English and published in the United Kingdom and/or Ireland between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026. ### Why are people noting the languages and nationalities? The 2026 shortlist was translated from five original languages: German, Bulgarian, Portuguese, French and Mandarin Chinese, according to the foundation’s announcement. (thebookerprizes.com) The authors and translators together represent eight nationalities, with organizers describing the list as spanning four continents. (thebookerprizes.com) Natasha Brown, who chaired this year’s judging panel, said in the Booker Prize Foundation statement that the shortlisted books contain narratives that “reverberate with history” and offer “hope, insight and burning humanity.” The foundation also said the list includes two debut novels and one book from a previously shortlisted author-translator pairing. (thebookerprizes.com) ### Who chose the shortlist? Natasha Brown chaired the 2026 judging panel. The other judges were writer and broadcaster Marcus du Sautoy, translator Sophie Hughes, writer and bookseller Troy Onyango, and novelist and columnist Nilanjana S. Roy, according to the official announcement. The foundation said this year marks 10 years of the International Booker Prize in its current form. (thebookerprizes.com) The prize is awarded annually for a work of fiction translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland, with the award split equally between author and translator. ### What does the shortlist show about this year’s field? (thebookerprizes.com) The Booker Prize Foundation said five of the six shortlisted authors are women and four of the six translators are women. The foundation also highlighted the range of stories on the list, from 1930s Taiwan under Japanese rule to Nazi Germany and the 1979 Iranian Revolution. (thebookerprizes.com) Publishers Weekly reported that the 2026 list is the 10th annual shortlist under the prize’s current format, and that the eligible submissions were drawn from books published during the latest award window. That publication and the Booker materials both described the prize as one of the most prominent awards for translated fiction in English. (thebookerprizes.com) ### What happens on May 19 in London? Tuesday, May 19, is the date set for the winner announcement at Tate Modern in London, according to the Booker Prizes website. The winning author and translator will share £50,000, while each shortlisted title receives £2,500 for the author and £2,500 for the translator, literary outlets reporting on the prize said. The Booker Prizes website said readers can find the shortlisted books, author-and-translator profiles, extracts and event materials on its 2026 prize pages ahead of the ceremony. (publishersweekly.com) The next named milestone is the May 19 announcement of the winning book at Tate Modern. (thebookerprizes.com) (bookreporter.com)