The longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize has been unveiled, featuring 13 books and authors from seven countries. Among the selections is 81-year-old science fiction novelist M. John Harrison, whose novel 'The End Of Everything' could make him the oldest winner in the prize's history.
Harrison, known for his Viriconium series, is joined by three debut authors: Djamel White with 'All Them Dogs', Kenan Orhan with 'The Renovation', and Rebecca Perry with 'May We Feed the King'. Pulitzer Prize-winner Elizabeth Strout is also longlisted for her 11th novel, 'The Things We Never Say'.
Two previous Booker Prize winners, Marlon James ('The Disappearers') and Douglas Stuart ('John of John'), are also on the list. If either were to win, they would become the fifth author to receive the award twice. The judging panel for 2026 is chaired by Mary Beard, alongside Jarvis Cocker, Raymond Antrobus, Rebecca Liu, and Patricia Lockwood.
The six shortlisted authors will be announced in September at the Southbank Centre. The winner of the £50,000 prize and the 'Iris' trophy will be revealed on November 9.