The Shortlist for the International Booker Prize 2026 has Been Announced

International Booker Prize 2026 Shortlist

taiwan travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi, translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin Qing: “A bittersweet story of love between two women, rooted in an artistic exploration of language, history, and power.”

Witch by Marie Ndiaye, translated from the French by Jordan Stump: “A mediocre witch, at a mediocre wedding, tries to pass her gifts on to her twin daughters, to whom it becomes clear that her skills far exceed hers.”

down to earth as it is By Ana Paula Maia, translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan: “A disturbing novel that places us among an estranged group of men whose bonds break in ways that are difficult to understand and impossible to look away from.”

director By Daniel Kehlmann, translated from the German by Ross Benjamin: “An Artist’s Life and a Pact with the Devil: This is a Novel About the Dangerous Illusions of the Silver Screen.”

that which remains By René Karabash, translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Engel: “A deep and poetic novel about identity, gender, love, freedom, and social norms.”

the nights are quiet in tehran by Shida Baziar, translated from German by Ruth Martin: “Set over four decades, from 1979 to 2009, this is a polyphonic novel of one family’s flight from and return to Iran.”