The Booker Prize 2026 shortlist was announced on 22 September 2026. The list includes six novels by authors from different literary backgrounds, and the winner will be announced at a ceremony on 9 November 2026.
Booker Prize
The Booker Prize is a major literary award for a novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The prize was first awarded in 1969 and is administered by the Booker Prize Foundation.
2026 Shortlist
The six shortlisted books are The End of Everything by M. John Harrison, The Disappearers by Marlon James, Black Bag by Luke Kennard, May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, and John of John by Douglas Stuart. Each shortlisted author will receive £2,500.
Judging Panel and Prize Money
The 2026 judging panel is chaired by classicist Mary Beard. The panel also includes poet Raymond Antrobus, musician Jarvis Cocker, journalist Rebecca Liu, and novelist Patricia Lockwood. The Booker Prize winner will receive £50,000.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Booker Prize was established in 1969 and is one of the best-known literary awards in the English-speaking world.
- Marlon James won the Booker Prize in 2015 for A Brief History of Seven Killings.
- Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize in 2020 for Shuggie Bain.
- The 2026 shortlist includes two debut novelists and features settings such as Jamaica, coastal Massachusetts, and the Outer Hebrides.
Previous Winners on the List
Marlon James and Douglas Stuart are former Booker Prize winners included in the 2026 shortlist. This is the second time in the past decade that men have outnumbered women on the Booker Prize shortlist.
