2026 Booker Prize longlist announced with 13 novels

The longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize, one of the world's most prestigious literary awards, was announced on Tuesday, July 28, featuring a diverse selection of 13 novels that judges described as "literary dynamite." The list includes two previous winners, a Pulitzer laureate, and three debut authors, spanning genres from dystopian science fiction to domestic drama.

Notable contenders include Douglas Stuart, nominated for "John of John," six years after winning the prize for his debut "Shuggie Bain." Marlon James, who won in 2015 for "A Brief History of Seven Killings," is also in the running with his novel "The Disappearers." Elizabeth Strout, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former Booker finalist, earns her third longlist nomination for "The Things We Never Say."

The judging panel, chaired by classicist and broadcaster Mary Beard, selected the so-called "Booker Dozen" from 163 submitted novels. In a statement, Beard emphasized the list's variety and ambition, saying the chosen works are not "cozy" but are instead "risk-takers" that attempt to expand boundaries. She noted that every writer on the list "brilliantly musters the power of words on the page to take the reader to new...