International Booker shorts

The International Booker Prize is turning its 2026 shortlist into six short films, with Toby Jones, Indira Varma and Toheeb Jimoh performing extracts from the nominated books. (thebookerprizes.com) The Booker Prize Foundation said the films will be released online on Thursday, April 16, 2026, one for each shortlisted title. The cast also includes Kae Alexander, Jehnny Beth and Xelia Mendes-Jones. (thebookerprizes.com) This year’s shortlist was announced on March 31 and includes six translated books published in the United Kingdom or Ireland between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026. The winner will be announced on May 19 at Tate Modern in London. (publishersweekly.com) The International Booker Prize awards fiction translated into English, and its £50,000 prize is split between author and translator. Each shortlisted book also receives £5,000, divided equally between the pair. (publishersweekly.com) The six shortlisted books are *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. (publishersweekly.com) The Booker Prize Foundation said the films were directed by Holly Blakey, scored with original music by Gwilym Gold and shot at the Southbank Centre in London, including the Purcell Room and the National Poetry Library. The cast was dressed in vintage and contemporary Vivienne Westwood. (thebookerprizes.com) The films will also be screened at a Southbank Centre event on May 8 marking 10 years of the International Booker Prize in its current form. The Booker Prize Foundation said Dua Lipa, 2021 winning author David Diop and 2025 winning translator Deepa Bhasthi are due to appear at that event. (thebookerprizes.com) The foundation first launched its shortlist film series in 2022, and previous campaigns featured Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Adjoa Andoh and Will Poulter. This year’s version pushes the prize further into screen culture just as the judges prepare to choose the 2026 winner. (standard.co.uk)