The International Booker Prize has revealed its 2026 shortlist, with six books in the running for the literary award given annually to a work of fiction translated into English and published in the U.K. or Ireland.
Taiwan Travelogue, written by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and translated from Mandarin Chinese by Lin King, made the shortlist; the novel won the 2024 National Book Award for translated literature.
The Director, written by Daniel Kehlmann and translated from German by Ross Benjamin, was named a finalist, as was another book originally published in German, The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran, written by Shida Bazyar and translated by Ruth Martin.
She Who Remains, written by Rene Karabash and translated from Bulgarian by Izidora Angel, made the shortlist, as did The Witch, written by Marie NDiaye and translated from French by Jordan Stump, and On Earth as It Is Beneath, written by Ana Paula Maia and translated from Portuguese by Padma Viswanathan.
Natasha Brown, the chair of judges for the prize, said in a statement, “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 energizing.”
The International Booker Prize was established in 2005. Previous winners include The Vegetarian, written by Han Kang and translated from Korean by Deborah Smith, and At Night All Blood Is Black, written by David Diop and translated from French by Anna Moschovakis.
The award comes with a cash prize of 50,000 British pounds, about $66,000, split equally between the author and translator. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced at a ceremony in London on May 19.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
