Booker Prize Longlist Features Douglas Stuart and Marlon James
WHO:
Deadline - The 13 authors on the Booker Prize longlist include Douglas Stuart, Marlon James, and Elizabeth Strout.
The Guardian - Mary Beard is chairing this year’s judging panel, joined by Jarvis Cocker, Raymond Antrobus, Patricia Lockwood, and Rebecca Liu.
WHAT:
The Guardian - The 2026 Booker Prize longlist features authors of seven nationalities across three continents: England, Ireland, Scotland, Jamaica, Mexico, Turkey, and America.
The Guardian - The 2026 Booker Prize longlist includes 13 novels, with 10 writers appearing on a Booker longlist for the first time.
The Guardian - The novel The End of Everything by M John Harrison is set in post-apocalyptic Britain on the Kent coast.
The Guardian - The novel The Renovation by Kenan Orhan features a woman discovering that her bathroom has become a prison cell.
The Guardian - The novel Switzy by Emma Cline tells the story of a man’s final journey to a euthanasia clinic in Zurich.
The Guardian - The novel May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry has already won the 2026 Waterstones debut fiction prize.
The Guardian - Marlon James's fifth novel, The Disappearers, is based around a homophobic mob attack in 1980s Jamaica and is set to be published in September.
The Guardian - Elizabeth Strout's third Booker nomination is for her 11th novel, The Things We Never Say, which addresses themes related to Trump’s America.
The Guardian - Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, stated that the judges’ “range of tastes” and “openness of mind” produced a list that “shows how capacious an art form the novel is”.
The Guardian - The longlist includes Emma Cline’s Switzy, Luke Kennard’s Black Bag, Rebecca Perry’s May We Feed the King, Gwendoline Riley’s The Palm House, and Missouri Williams’s The Vivisectors.
The Guardian - Ten of the writers on the longlist are appearing on a Booker longlist for the first time, including three debut novelists: Kenan Orhan, Rebecca Perry, and Djamel White.
The Guardian - Chloe Aridjis, longlisted for The Shadow of the Object, could become the first winner of Mexican heritage.
The Guardian - Kenan Orhan, longlisted for his debut novel The Renovation, could become the first of Turkish heritage.
The Guardian - At 81, M John Harrison is the oldest on the list, longlisted for the first time for The End of Everything after 12 previous novels.
The Guardian - Djamel White, at 28, is the youngest on the list, with his debut, All Them Dogs, set in the “criminal badlands” of west Dublin.
Deadline - The 2026 Booker Prize longlist features 13 novels.
ABC News Entertainment - Marlon James and Douglas Stuart are in the running for the 2026 Booker Prize.
The Guardian - James is longlisted for his fifth novel, The Disappearers, and Stuart for his third novel, John of John.
The Guardian - The judges praised Stuart's novel for its “rich, textural detail” and called James's work “a reckoning” from “a singular literary talent”.
The Guardian - A total of 163 books were submitted for consideration, all written in English and published in the UK or Ireland between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026.
The Guardian - The shortlist will be announced at the Southbank Centre in London on 22 September, with the winner named at a ceremony on 9 November.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The shortlist announcement will take place at the Southbank Centre in London.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The shortlist will be announced on 22 September and the winner will be named on 9 November.
WHY:
The Guardian - The selection is described as one that “rewards risk” and contains “genuinely original work”.
HOW:
The Guardian - Mary Beard stated, “Great books have never been written to a single formula,” emphasizing the diversity of the longlist.
The Guardian - Jarvis Cocker expressed that he felt he was the least formally qualified person on the jury but believed his different perspective was valuable.
The Guardian - Jarvis Cocker noted that he was the least formally qualified person on the jury but felt that the inclusion of non-literary figures on the panel brought a different perspective.
The Guardian - The judging panel includes individuals from various backgrounds, with Cocker noting that the panel includes people who “aren’t necessarily part of the literary world – but can read!”
(UPDATED July 29, 2026 10:52 UTC)
The 2026 Booker Prize longlist showcases a remarkable diversity, featuring authors from seven nationalities across three continents, including England, Jamaica, and America. This year's list includes 13 novels, with 10 writers making their debut on a Booker longlist, highlighting fresh voices in literature. Among the notable titles are M John Harrison's post-apocalyptic tale, The End of Everything, and Kenan Orhan's intriguing novel, The Renovation, where a woman finds her bathroom transformed into a prison cell.
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(UPDATED July 29, 2026 05:52 UTC)
Marlon James's fifth novel, The Disappearers, which centers around a homophobic mob attack in 1980s Jamaica, is set to be published in September. Elizabeth Strout has received her third Booker nomination for her 11th novel, The Things We Never Say, which explores themes related to Trump’s America. Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, highlighted the judges' diverse tastes and open-mindedness, resulting in a longlist that includes works by Emma Cline, Luke Kennard, Rebecca Perry, Gwendoline Riley, and Missouri Williams.
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(UPDATED July 28, 2026 23:20 UTC)
In a notable development for this year's Booker longlist, ten writers are making their debut, including three first-time novelists: Kenan Orhan, Rebecca Perry, and Djamel White. Chloe Aridjis, recognized for her work The Shadow of the Object, has the chance to become the first winner of Mexican heritage, while Kenan Orhan could make history as the first winner of Turkish heritage with his debut novel The Renovation. At 81, M John Harrison is the oldest on the list with The End of Everything, and Djamel White, the youngest at 28, is being recognized for his debut All Them Dogs, which explores the “criminal badlands” of west Dublin, as juror Jarvis Cocker highlighted the value of including non-literary figures for a fresh perspective.
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(UPDATED July 28, 2026 17:28 UTC)
The 2026 Booker Prize longlist has been revealed, featuring 13 novels by authors including Marlon James and Douglas Stuart, with James recognized for his fifth novel, The Disappearers, and Stuart for his third, John of John. Mary Beard is chairing this year's judging panel, which also includes Jarvis Cocker, Raymond Antrobus, Patricia Lockwood, and Rebecca Liu, and they praised the works for their originality and depth. The shortlist will be announced at the Southbank Centre in London on 22 September, with the winner set to be revealed at a ceremony on 9 November.