The International Booker Prize 2026 Shortlist has been announced with six titles of fiction translated into English, from a longlist of thirteen.
The shortlist is as follows:
- 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 Maria NDiaye (translated by Jordan Slump)
- Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi (translated by Lin King)
"With narratives that capture moments from across the past century, these books reverberate with history. While there's heartbreak, brutality, and isolation among these stories, their lasting effect is energising. Rereading each book, we judges found hope, insight and burning humanity – along with unforgettable characters to whom I'm sure readers will return again and again."
The prize awards £25,000 to the author and £25,000 to the translator, in recognition of the essential work of translators in bringing fiction to a wider audience. I am keen to read more translated fiction, and some of the titles on this shortlist sound interesting if I can track them down, although many are not yet available in Australia.
The winner will be announced on 19 May 2026.